Amnesia
by cheri1
Summary: Ten/Rose. AU. After the events of Last of the Time Lords, the Doctor is forced to take Rose's memories away and leave her to face a normal life in London. Can Rose fight what the Doctor has done and remember who she really is?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This fanfic is based on a video I saw on You Tube. The video is by Bex19 so credit goes to her for the inspiration. This is AU, not only because of Rose losing her memory but also because Rose is still with the Doctor during the events of Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords.

Chapter One

He was so glad she couldn't see him now.

The Doctor, the last of the Time Lords, Time's Champion, locked inside a tiny birdcage. It was extremely embarrassing. Especially since the Master came nearly every hour to stare at him and gloat. He only wished she hadn't witnessed his aging in the first place…if she had witnessed it.

No, she was still alive, he was sure of it. His bond with her was so strong he felt sure he would know if she was dead. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. But he knew Rose and he knew how strong she was, mentally and physically. If anyone could do what he asked, she could. He had his part to play and she had hers so he had to trust in her as usual and hope that she succeeded in her mission.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Damn it!"

Rose ducked behind a building when she saw a Toclafane coming her way. For nearly a year she'd been able to dodge the murderous balls while walking the world but she was exhausted and near the breaking point. It had been a hellish year and she had to keep pushing herself to keep going and talk herself into not giving up. The only thing that kept her going was the thought of seeing the Doctor again and no homicidal ball was going to keep her from that.

She kept still, her eyes moving while she tracked the Toclafane while it slowly flew by the alley. Thanks to the perception filter, the ball didn't see her at all and she was glad the Doctor created them before he was taken hostage by the Master. Without them, she would have failed in her mission. Although to be honest, she thought the assignment was a bit strange. She didn't know why telling people about the Doctor would make that big a difference unless the Doctor was planning to rally everyone to rise up and rebel against the Master. She gave up trying to work out what the Doctor was thinking and decided to put her trust in him that he could save them all.

When the Toclafane was far enough away from the alley, Rose snuck out. She made sure the Toclafane couldn't see her before she continued on. She was near Trafalgar Square now, nearly at the end of her mission. As soon as she reached it, she would start the second part of the plan and God willing, she'd see the Doctor and Jack again.

She hid again when another Toclafane showed its ugly head. She made a face imagining the brown misshapen human face inside it as it flew past. She didn't have much face to face contact with the Master but after all he did, both here and in the past, she had come to the conclusion that he was a sadistic homicidal maniac and the Earth would rejoice once he was gone.

She finally reached Trafalgar Square and took a well deserved rest. She looked up and made a face. During her absence, the Master had replaced the statue of Nelson with one of himself. He'd done that all over the world, different statues of various heights and different poses, reminding the survivors of his slaughter just who was in charge of them now. The sky was overcast and it had been spitting out rain until an hour ago. The air was slightly chilly which just added to the creepiness of the Master statue.

"You don't deserve to be up there," Rose muttered while she stared at the statue. "If it were up to me, the Doctor would be there instead of you."

She shook her head. She needed to keep a level head at the moment. She couldn't let anger cloud her judgment and she couldn't get emotional over the Doctor. Even the joy at seeing him again had to go to the back of her mind. She needed to focus on the task at hand. Still, the thought of seeing the man she loved made her heart race. She just hoped that the Master hadn't done something to him in his diminutive state. The thought of watching that bastard age the Doctor down to the size of a dwarf made her blood boil and she had to take another deep breath to calm herself down.

She rested near the statue for about a half hour before she decided to put the next part of the plan into action. She lifted the flap on Jack's vortex manipulator and inputted the coordinates for the Valiant that the Doctor had whispered to her over a year ago. During that time, she had repeated them over and over until they were firmly committed to memory because the manipulator was her key to getting back on board the flying ship and getting back to the Doctor and the TARDIS.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rose staggered a bit the moment the manipulator brought her on board the Valiant. She looked around and quickly ducked into the shadows before someone saw her. She could tell from the pipes and the steel interior that she was in the right place but she had no idea where she was and where to find the Doctor. She wished to God the manipulator had a Satnav in it. She stood there for a moment, listening closely and observing everything. She didn't see anyone so she finally worked up the courage to venture out and explore. She stayed close to the walls just in case while she tried to find the lift up to the conference room.

She stopped at a corner and was about to look around it to make sure it was safe when she heard a familiar voice.

"Any chance I could get some decent grub today, fellas?"

Rose's breath caught for a moment.

"Jack," she whispered to herself. "I never thought I'd hear your voice again."

She slowly made her way towards the sound of his voice, smiling while she listened to him whining and complaining about being fed slop and not being able to get proper exercise. She stopped beside a corner and peeked around it. She could see Jack about twenty feet down the corridor. He was chained up and standing inside a chain length fence while two guards stood watch over him.

"You know, we could go for a walk together," Jack said to the uninterested guards. "The three of us having a nice little chat, wouldn't you like that?"

Rose stifled a giggle when the two guards glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. She had a feeling Jack irritated everyone that stood guard over him this past year. She leaned back up and stood in the shadows while she tried to come up with a way to get the guards away from Jack. She went back down the corridor and found a red box mounted on the wall. She studied it for a moment. It was a fire alarm and you had to pull up on the little handle to activate it. She looked around for a moment and noticed a very dark area underneath some pipes. She worked up the nerve before grabbing the handle and jerking it up. A klaxon nearly blasted her ears out but she ignored it while she ran to her hiding place. She knelt down and slowly scooted underneath the pipes. The floors were clean but the pipes weren't and she turned her head to avoid getting grease and grime on her face. She waited a moment and then watched while the two guards rounded the corner and ran down the corridor. They didn't see her as they ran past and she waited until they left the corridor before she slid out and ran back to Jack.

Jack's face lit up when he saw Rose running into the corridor.

"Well, you're a sight for sore eyes," he said as she ran up to the fence. "Will you fix me a decent meal, Blondie? I'm starving for one."

"If you help me rescue the Doctor and get the TARDIS back," Rose said, opening the door in the middle of the fence.

"Done!" Jack said.

He grinned when Rose ran to him and hugged him tight.

"Awww, this almost makes being captive for a year worth it…almost," he said.

Rose studied the manacles around his wrists and cursed.

"Let me guess, you let my guards run off and you didn't get the keys," Jack said.

"I was trying to think up a distraction. I was just hoping they'd leave," Rose said. "Isn't there another set of keys somewhere?"

"I think there's a set on Gruesome but I don't know if you want to mess with him," Jack said. "You could try his office though."

"How do I get up to the conference room?" Rose said.

"Well, I believe the lift is nearby. I think you go up this passageway, turn right and then turn left at the next junction and the lift is on your left."

Rose groaned.

"I don't wanna leave you thought," she said to him.

"I'll be fine. Just get to the Doctor and free him. If I'm still here, it won't alert the guards that you're here. Just get going before someone finds you here."

Rose kissed him on the cheek and Jack smiled and wished her luck. Rose ran to the door, shut it and after promising Jack she'd return, she ran down the corridor in search of the lift.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Doctor was inspecting his toes since there was nothing else to do inside his tiny prison. He had finished picking some dirt from underneath his fingernails and now he was looking at his feet. While he was doing that, the klaxon went off and he looked up while the siren blared over his head.

"Hmmm, Jack get out again?" he muttered to himself.

He stood up and walked to the bars. Putting his hands on it, he waited for something to happen. There had been one escape attempt by Jack over the past year and when it happened, the Master had rushed up to make sure he was where he was supposed to be. That had been when he was a hundred years old and he had been in his tent relaxing when the Master threw aside the flap. The Doctor had a private giggle that day when he saw the comically panicked look on his adversary's reddened face. He figured the Master had run hell for leather all the way from his office just to make sure he wasn't making mischief. The Doctor had smiled and waved cheerfully at him and giggled again at the sour look on his face when he realized he wasn't the one that set off the alarm. The only bad thing was Jack had been tortured to death as punishment once he was caught and the Doctor vowed he would make the Master pay for that. Since then he'd been biding his time, trying to tune in to the Archangel Satellites while he waited for the day Rose would return to him.

The Doctor snickered when he heard the lift going down.

"I wonder how red your face will be today, Master," he muttered to himself while he watched the lift doors.

He heard the lift stop. Then thirty seconds later, the lift started up again.

"I'm right heee-ere," he said to himself in a high-pitched voice while he waited for the door to open and the Master to scramble out in a panic.

The lift stopped and the Doctor waited gleefully for the Master to emerge. But his hearts stopped when the doors opened and he saw Rose inside. The two of them locked eyes and the Doctor swallowed hard when he saw the anguished look on his beloved's face as she stepped into the room.

"Doctor?" she said as she walked towards the cage. "Oh God, what have they done to you?"

"What? You don't like my penthouse suite?" the Doctor said, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.

But Rose wasn't in the mood for joking. She walked over to the cage and put her hand on the side of it. The Doctor smiled warmly while he reached through and wrapped his tiny fingers around one of hers.

"Rose, you should hide," the Doctor said. "The Master panicked the last time this happened and ran in here to make sure I was still his prisoner. He'll do it again and you can't be here."

"What do we do? You wanted me to walk the Earth for you, what happens now?" Rose said panicked.

"It's not time yet," the Doctor said sadly. "You're two days early."

Rose cursed. Being on the run and moving from place to place made her lose track of time. Plus, she realized she probably crossed the international dateline at some point and lost a day that way.

"Rose, get out of here. Hide somewhere before you end up his prisoner," the Doctor said.

"I'll set you free. I'll take you somewhere. We'll get Jack and leave here and come back when it's time," Rose said.

"No, if he finds me gone, he'll send the Toclafane to find us," the Doctor said.

"I won't leave you like this."

"You have to. Go!"

Both of them froze when they heard the lift going down.

"Blast, I'm betting that's him or his guards coming to make sure I'll still here. Rose, hide, before they find you!" the Doctor said through clenched teeth.

Rose looked around and the Doctor watched with heavy hearts while she ran to the steps leading to the upper deck and sprinted up them. The Doctor swallowed hard while he watched Rose look around for a place to hide before finally darting underneath a table. The Doctor heard the lift stop and he quickly formulated a plan to keep the Master or the guards from discovering Rose as the lift started up again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Master grumbled to himself as the lift went up to the conference room.

"I swear, Doctor, if you're doing something to escape, I'll flay your skin off your body and make a tiny rug out of it," he growled.

The lift doors opened and he walked out. The Doctor was sitting in his cage, inspecting his foot. The Doctor looked up and waved cheerfully.

"Still here," he called to the Master.

"It's a bloody good thing," the Master growled as the lift doors closed. "I would have stomped you into a bloody pulp if you were responsible for this."

"I'm sitting here being bored, haven't done a thing all day," the Doctor said while the Master walked up to him.

"Ah yes, I suppose I could supply you with some dog toys or something to keep you occupied," the Master said, walking up to the cage. "I suppose it's Harkness again. If it is, you get to watch the torture this time."

"Leave him alone," the Doctor growled at him.

"I can't leave him alone because the stupid sod keeps trying to escape," the Master said. "Can't have him running around disrupting things, not while my plan is progressing nicely. Bad enough Tyler is still loose."

The Doctor turned his thoughts to Rose at the mention of her name. He listened but he couldn't hear anything coming from the upper deck. He hoped Rose would stay hidden. He hoped Rose would just leave the Valiant and leave him and Jack here for the next two days but he doubted that would happen. Rose could be stubborn, especially when it came to him and his safety.

He noticed that the Master was about to leave and he was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the side door opened and Lucy Saxon stepped into the room. She was wearing a black skirt and black blouse with white house slippers. Her hair was pulled back and there was a slight bruise on her left cheek. The Master had started roughing her up lately which sickened him.

"Harry, what's going on?" Lucy said, shutting the door behind her.

"Nothing, dearest," the Master said without any hint of love in his voice. "The Doctor's here so it must be Harkness. Go back to your room."

"Harry, get rid of him," Lucy said, pointing to the Doctor while she stomped towards him. "He's dangerous."

"He'll be taken care of in the proper time," the Master said to her. "Now go back to your room."

"You're fond of your little pet, aren't you?" Lucy said with comtempt.

The Master smirked at that.

"What's wrong, my love, jealous?" he said.

"No, I think it's sickening the way you imprisoned him and…watch him," Lucy said.

"He and I go way back, further back than you, my dearest. He deserves a more elaborate death than a bullet to the head. I will destroy him when I'm good and ready to."

Lucy snorted.

"You won't do anything to him," she said. "You had an entire year to kill him and he's still here. You don't have the guts to kill him, Harry, because you're in love with him."

"I believe I told you to leave, you little bitch," the Master snarled as he came close to her. "What I do with him is none of your bleedin' business. Now go…to your room before I make you go."

"You don't scare me, Harry," Lucy said. "You're pathetic. You think you're the king of the universe but you can't keep Harkness in check and you can't find Rose Tyler and as for him…well, I'd hate to think what you do with him when I'm not looking. I'm sure you took advantage of him when he was a wrinkly old man and…"

She grunted when the Master decked her face and she hit the floor hard and slid across the polished floor.

"I have had my fill of you," the Master snarled as he walked over to her.

"Master, stop!" the Doctor said while the Master knelt down beside his stunned wife. "Leave her alone!"

"I don't know what you see in these apes, Doctor. They're stubborn and stupid," the Master growled back at him. "I tried to be nice but she wouldn't listen because her brain barely functions past the level of pond scum."

"Fuck you, Harry!"

The Master let out a roar of anger and the Doctor watched sadly while the Master punched her face repeatedly until she was barely conscious. He was about to deliver another blow when the klaxon suddenly stopped and he looked up at the ceiling.

"Ah, apparently the trouble has been taken care of," the Master said calmly while he stood up. "Good. I hate that siren, it gives me a headache. So…I suppose I'll leave you alone then and go take a nice, long bath. I'll bring your supper up to you later, Doctor. Cheers."

The Doctor glared at his former friend as he calmly stepped over his wife and walked towards the side door. Not a hint of concern or compassion was given as he looked back at Lucy when he reached the door. He snorted at her as he opened the door. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He watched sadly while Lucy tried to turn herself over and get to her feet.

"You allied yourself with the wrong person," he said to her while she struggled to get to her feet. "I don't know what he told you to make you fall in love with him but the Master loves nobody except himself."

"And you…" Lucy spat out as she grabbed the rim of the conference table for support.

"No, even I can't compete with his narcissism," the Doctor said. "You were something to be used to his advantage and now that you're no longer needed, the true side of your husband is coming out. Leave him, Lucy Saxon, before you land up dead."

"Are you suggesting I rebel against him?" Lucy said, steadying herself with the help of the table as she stood up.

"Don't you think you should before you end up dead or enslaved?" the Doctor said. "You should see your face now, I'm surprised you're still conscious. Can you see at all?"

Lucy's eyes were nearly swollen shut. Lucy turned her face and looked at him and the Doctor winced at the extent of her injuries. Her face was black and blue and there was blood coming out of her nose, her split lip and a tiny gash on her forehead.

"Please, let me help you," the Doctor said, holding out his hand through the bars of the cage. "I can help if you help me in return."

"What can you do? You're small enough to fit in a birdcage now," Lucy said as she reached over for a box of tissues on the table.

"I can do a lot more than you think and I have friends that'll help me," the Doctor said.

"Who? Harkness? He's chained up," Lucy said, pulling a couple of tissues out of the box.

"And he got free once. He can do it again. Your husband's tried to kill me numerous times and I'm still here."

"Yes, because he fancies you," Lucy said as she dabbed at the blood under her nose.

"Perhaps but that doesn't mean he's made an effort to kill me," the Doctor said. "I can help, please let me help. You'll be dead before too long if you let this go on."

"And how are you going to protect me if you're the size of an elf?" Lucy said.

"I have ways. Just trust me."

"I trusted Harry and look where that got me," Lucy said bitterly.

"But I'm not like him. I won't betray your trust if you won't betray mine. Just give me a chance. We need to stop him. He'll end up exterminating all the humans. Do you want to be the last of your kind, Lucy? Because it's no fun being the only survivor of your race, believe me."

He could tell that Lucy was considering his words. He hoped she would trust him, especially since Rose needed all the help she could get to escape. Lucy was giving him a wary look.

"How can I be sure you won't stab me in the back?" she said.

"Because I'm not like him," the Doctor repeated. "The Master lied to you and that's why we're in this predicament. You're not going to live much longer, I'll bet my lives on that. The Master won't share power with anyone, especially not a human. You heard him just now; he said you had the intelligence of pond scum. I don't think that. I think humans are highly intelligent, just a bit misguided at times. I fought tooth and nail to protect this planet and I will continue to do that, even if the Earth is in ruins. You are worth fighting for and that's the difference between him and me, Lucy Saxon."

Lucy stared at him for a moment while she thought that over.

"I don't have the key," she finally said. "I don't have your screwdriver. If I try to take you and your cage out of here, we'll be caught. Guards are everywhere so how are we supposed to leave?"

"I have a way."

Lucy jerked her head around when Rose got out from under the table and stood up.

"Rose Tyler?" Lucy said in disbelief.

"Yeah. I'm the one that set off the fire alarm," Rose said, coming to the stairs. "I was listening to ya and if you're serious about helping the Doctor and Jack, I have a way to escape. I have a vortex manipulator that will teleport us away from here. But I need to be sure you're going to help us."

"Rose, just go. You need to get to safety," the Doctor said.

"And how are you gonna help Lucy if you're in the cage?" Rose said, coming down the stairs. "If we let Lucy speak to the guards and keep to the shadows, we can get to Jack and free him and we can leave here and find a place to hide."

The Doctor sighed, realizing that Rose wouldn't go without him or Jack. He nodded.

"Okay, I'll go with you but we need to be careful because if the Master catches us, he'll show us no mercy," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Master breathed a sigh of relief as he walked back to his office. The last thing he needed was for the Doctor and Jack to escape and ruin all his plans, especially since he was nearing his finest hour when he would make the universe bow to him.

He was nearing his office when he ran into one of his guards.

"So is the problem with the alarm sorted then?" he asked the guard.

"Yes, sir," the guard said.

"And Harkness is in the detention room now?" the Master said.

"No, sir, he's still chained up," the guard said.

"He didn't do this?" the Master said.

"No, sir, he never escaped."

"And you didn't check to see who pulled the fire alarm?" the Master said.

"No one did, sir, it activated on its own," the guard said.

The Master stared at him in disbelief and the guard swallowed nervously when he looked at his piercing gaze.

"We have two prisoners on board this ship that are highly dangerous," the Master said, trying to keep his temper under control. "An alarm goes off by itself and you didn't stop to think that perhaps our two prisoners had something to do with it?"

"Harkness is confined, sir, and there's no sign of the Doctor."

"The Doctor is also confined but that doesn't mean they didn't formulate a plan. Rose Tyler is still at large, idiot. Did that thought ever occur to your little ape brain?"

"N…no, sir," the guard said.

"Out of my way, you stupid git," the Master growled, shoving him against the wall as he stomped past.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Master grabbed the door handle to the conference room, jerked it and flung the door open. He walked inside and froze when he noticed the cage was missing. He gritted his teeth and let out an enraged scream before he sprinted towards the lift.

Meanwhile, Lucy was leading Rose and the Doctor through the bowels of the ship towards Jack. The Doctor was still in the birdcage and Rose was doing her best to keep it upright.

"This is so embarrassing," the Doctor said as he held on to the cage bars.

"We'll get you out when we find something to prise open the door, Doctor," Rose said.

"I would tell you to throw the cage on the ground except I'm in it at the moment," the Doctor said. "Just be careful or the two of you will end up in here with me."

Lucy stopped Rose when they reached the corner of the passageway next to the one Jack was in. Lucy quietly told Rose to wait before she went around the corner.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Mrs. Saxon?"

The guards at the gate stared at Lucy as she walked up to them. The guard on the right, a young man with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes walked up to her.

"Mrs. Saxon, what happened?" he said to her.

"I was attacked," Lucy said.

"Attacked? By who?" the guard said.

"I don't know but he's still loose and I need the two of you to find and kill him," Lucy said.

"What about him?" the guard said, gesturing to Jack.

"I'll keep an eye on him. You and your friend go find the man who did this to me before he does anything else. Now hurry! He's a skinny Asian man with a mustache wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Find him!"

Lucy pointed to the passageway behind her, hoping the guards wouldn't turn the corner or see Rose. The guards glanced at each other before they ran off in search of the imaginary man. Lucy was relieved when they ran straight ahead and didn't look off to the left where Rose and the Doctor were standing.

"You look like shit," Jack said while Lucy opened the door.

"You don't look that great either," Lucy said, walking towards him. "Be quiet. I'm going to free you so we can escape from here."

"You and me?" Jack said.

"And us as well," Rose said, coming around the corner with the Doctor.

"Oh my God," Jack said as he stared at the Doctor. "And just when I thought the Master couldn't get any nuttier. Still, you make a cute pet."

"Belt up, Jack," the Doctor said.

"So, how are you going to free me?" Jack said while Lucy walked behind the dais. "The guards just ran off with the keys."

"I know a few things about my husband and one of them is he's incredibly paranoid," Lucy said, kneeling down. "He doesn't trust the guards completely so he made sure he hid a spare key back here."

Lucy felt for a groove in the dais and found it. She pulled open a false door and reached inside for a set of keys. She closed it and stood back up. She held them up triumphantly while she walked around the dais.

"I hope this proves I'm on your side," she said to them before stepping up onto the dais.

"Welcome to our side," Jack said as she unlocked the left manacle. "It's nice to know you finally woke up to the truth."

"Well, I finally got tired of being slapped around by Harry," Lucy said.

Jack let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his left arm. Lucy unlocked the right manacle and was surprised when Jack threw his arms around her the moment he lowered the other one.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're…welcome," Lucy said, taken by surprise.

Jack let go and patted her shoulder. Lucy smiled shyly and Jack winked at her.

"Harkness, we need to go," the Doctor said, clicking his fingers to get his attention.

"Yes, of course. You wouldn't happen to have a key for that thing, do you?" he asked Lucy as he pointed to the Doctor's cage.

Lucy didn't answer while she walked behind the dais again. Jack watched while she walked to the back of the makeshift cage where a tool chest was sitting. She knelt down and opened the tiny red tool chest.

"Harry melted the clamps on the bottom of the cage so the Doctor couldn't get out," Lucy said. "I think there's a screwdriver in here that'll help bend the bars so we can get the bottom out. Give me a moment while I look for it."

"Here, let me lend you my eyes since yours are swollen," Jack said, walking over to her.

Rose lifted the cage and took a look underneath. The ends of the metal clamps were melted to the base of the cage.

"Wow, he must have used a blowtorch for this," Rose said, examining them.

"Laser screwdriver, actually," the Doctor said inside the cage. "I had to huddle at the top of the cage so my feet wouldn't get burned."

"Aha, found it!" Jack said, pulling a screwdriver out of the toolbox.

He and Lucy walked back to Rose. When they reached her, Jack held up the screwdriver and pointed to it.

"This…is a screwdriver, not that ridiculous thing you use," he said to the Doctor.

"Whatever, Jack, just get me out of here," the Doctor said.

Lucy helped Rose lift the cage up high above their heads. They held it steady while Jack studied the clamps. He put the tip of the screwdriver in between the base and the side of the cage and began to bend the bars back.

"I hope your friends don't come back while we're doing this, Lucy," Jack said while he worked.

"If they do, we'll have to deal with them," Lucy said.

"I'll take care of them," Rose said. "No one's going to hurt the Doctor now."

"What about me? They can hurt me then?" Jack teased.

"Or you," Rose said fondly.

Jack smiled when he managed to bend the bars enough to make a three inch gap.

"Let me have that, Jack," the Doctor said.

He took the tip of the screwdriver, pulled it into the cage and tried to bend the bars from his end. He managed to bend them back another few inches while Jack looked at the clamps.

"Here, let me try something now, Doc," Jack said.

The Doctor passed the screwdriver back to him. Jack took it and used it on the tiny door, prying it open with hardly any effort.

"I can't fit through there, Jack," the Doctor said, pointing to the tiny opening.

"I know that, Yoda, but I can get my hand in there and push down on the base now," Jack said. "Just hold onto something."

The Doctor gripped the bars of the cage while Jack put one hand inside the cage and used the screwdriver on the base. He kept on prying back the bars while hitting the base repeatedly with his other hand. The cage vibrated each time he hit the base and the Doctor clung on for dear life while Rose and Lucy tried to hold on to it.

"Shit!" Jack said, taking his hand out of the cage. "Guys, put the cage on the floor on it's side. I wanna try something else."

Rose and Lucy slowly tipped the cage on its side while the Doctor made his way to the side facing the floor.

"This is one hell of a day for me," the Doctor said when they finally got it turned and he was resting on the bars.

They sat it on the floor and Jack knelt down. He put his free hand on the side of the cage that was facing up, keeping it steady while he put the screwdriver in the wide gap they managed to make. He managed to exert enough pressure on the base for the clamps to give way.

"Thank heavens," the Doctor said, crawling out of the opening when Jack took the base away.

The Doctor stood up and straightened his suit. He felt Jack's eyes on him and looked up to see a huge grin on his face.

"You're so cute," Jack said, patting him on the head. "Like Mini Me."

"Shut up, Jack," the Doctor said while he snickered.

He walked over to Rose and held his hands out to her. Rose picked him up and held him against her.

"Awwww," Jack said while the Doctor rested against her chest. "Can I hold him next?"

"Move it!" the Doctor said, pointing to the passageway.

Jack shrugged. He took Lucy's hand and Rose followed them with the Doctor while they hurried down the passageway.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Master stepped off the lift, his blood boiling when he thought of the incompetence of his guards. He guessed the klaxon had been some sort of distraction. Maybe through his guards into a panic and get them off guard while he escaped. He was on his way to find out if Harkness had escaped as well when he ran into the two guards who were supposed to be guarding him. He stopped them figuring this was a bad sign.

"Harkness is loose?" he said to them.

"No sir, there is someone else inside the Valiant," the young guard said.

The Master groaned.

"Rose Tyler is back then," he said.

"No sir," the guard said.

The Master was shocked by that.

"It's not Harkness and it's not Tyler, who is it?"

"Some Asian man, sir," the other guard said.

"Some…Asian…man," the Master said slowly. "What Asian man? Who is he?"

"Dunno, sir," the young guard said with a shrug. "Mrs. Saxon said an Asian man attacked her and he's loose and we should go look for him."

The Master's mouth dropped open. He suddenly realized who helped the Doctor escape.

"I did that, morons!" the Master growled at them. "There's no Asian man, just a backstabbing bitch of a wife. Now go back and get her and capture anyone who's with her. Can you gits handle that?"

"Yes, sir," the guards said in unison.

"Then do it! Find as many guards as you can along the way and bring them to me alive. I want to deal with them personally."

"Including Mrs. Saxon?" the guard said.

"Especially her," the Master said through gritted teeth. "Now go!"

"Yes, sir!" the guards said in unison before they turned around and ran off.

The Master sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and muttered to himself about the incompetence of apes while he headed for Jack's cage.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So where do we go?" Jack said while he and his friends headed down an empty corridor.

"We need to find the TARDIS," Rose said over her shoulder. "Do you know where it is?"

"I do," Lucy said. "But it's guarded by four Toclafane and they only answer to Harry. They also don't leave their posts for anything, Harry's orders so to get to it, you have to get through them."

"I have the perception filter," Rose said. "I could share it with the Doctor."

"I don't have one though," Jack said. "How will you get the Toclafane to leave so me and Lucy can enter?"

"We could move the TARDIS outside the door," Rose said.

"I have a feeling the Master thought of that," the Doctor said. "Knowing him, he rigged a booby trap inside it. Not to mention the moment you open the TARDIS doors the Toclafane will know you're there."

Rose cursed under her breath.

"We can use the vortex manipulator to escape and plan something," Rose said.

"Sounds good to me," Jack said. "I need to recover and I know Lucy does too. Just let me punch in a few coordinates," he said, taking Rose's hand and flipping open the cover. "I think we should go someplace besides England so Nutsy doesn't find us right away. There, I believe I set it for the Bahamas. Sun, sand and beach sounds inviting. Alright, Lucy, Rose, everyone crowd in together."

Rose held the Doctor tightly with her free arm while Lucy and Jack grabbed hold of her other arm.

"Here goes nothing," Jack said.

He activated it but nothing happened. Jack frowned and hit the enter button again and still nothing happened.

"That shouldn't happen," Jack said. "Why won't it work? Shit, he must have blocked it somehow so we can't use it."

"But I used it to get in here," Rose said.

"But if he thought you were coming back he could have thought up a device that would allow you to enter but not leave so you'd be trapped here," the Doctor said.

"So we have to try for the TARDIS then?" Rose said.

"No," the Doctor said. "That's too risky. We have to get to the paradox machine and destroy it. If we do, time will reverse. But Lucy, you'll have to lead us to it. When the Master showed me the machine, he blindfolded me first and wheeled me into the room."

Lucy nodded. She asked everyone to follow her but they were stopped after a few steps when four guards walked into the corridor and stopped in front of them.

"They're here!" one of the guards shouted.

"Shit, other way, gang!" Jack yelled.

But as they were turning, one of the guards pulled out a stun gun and quickly fired at them. Rose went down first and Jack was hit next when he tried to catch her and the Doctor.

"Stop, we surrender!" Lucy said, getting in front of everyone.

The Doctor managed to jump out of Rose's arms as she and Jack fell to the floor. He stood by his friends while they lay motionless on the floor. By now, guards were blocking the other end of the corridor and all of them were pointing stun guns and guns at them. One of the guards radioed the Master that they were captured while Lucy looked down at the Doctor.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said to him.

"It's alright. Thanks for helping us," the Doctor said, patting her leg.

Five minutes later, the Master came around the corner and the guards parted to let him through. They fell in behind him while the Master glared at his wife.

"Et tu, Brute?" he said to her as he folded his arms over his chest.

"After what you did to me, it was a pleasure helping them," Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So, you're with them, eh? Well, you'll suffer the same torture and death they receive then," the Master said coolly. "I see that Rose is among you. Good. At last, I have the bitch in my possession and I don't have to worry about her ruining my plans. And you," he said to the Doctor. "Your reward is you get to watch them all die before you join them. And when I say that, I mean Harkness as well. I think I'll seal the bastard in a block of cement and leave him there forever. It may not be death but it's the next best thing."

"Please spare them," the Doctor said. "Do what you want to me."

"I will…after I get done doing what I want to them," the Master said. "Guards, take them prisoner…all of them. Put them in holding cells until I can think up a suitable torture and death for them."

"Yes, sir!" the guards said in unison as they quickly moved towards the prisoners.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The guards shoved Rose and the Doctor into a bare storage room after taking the perception filter from them. He slammed the door on them and locked it. Rose cuddled the Doctor against her while she heard the Master ordering some of the guards to stand watch at all times or else. Her heart sank when nothing more was heard. The Doctor slid out of her arm and dropped to the floor. The room was made of steel with a steel door. The Doctor walked over to the door and examined it for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, please forgive me."

The Doctor turned at the sound of Rose's voice and saw her slumped in the corner, completely dejected.

"It's not your fault, Rose," the Doctor said gently as he walked towards her. "If the manipulator had worked, we would have escaped."

"Yes, but…I failed you," Rose said.

"How?" the Doctor said, stopping beside her and laying a hand on her leg.

"I let myself be captured," Rose said.

The Doctor waited for her to continue.

"And?" he said when she didn't say anything more.

"And that's it," Rose said.

"Did you do what I asked?"

"I went all over the Earth and told people about you, yeah," Rose said.

"Then you didn't fail me," the Doctor said, patting her leg.

"But why did I need to do that?" Rose said.

"Because I helped the humans and now they're going to help me," the Doctor said. "They're a huge part of my plan and the calling out of my name will help restore everything, you'll see."

"But what if the Master kills us before then?" Rose said, pulling him into her lap.

"He won't," the Doctor said. "He wants me to see his big plan and since I have to witness your death, you'll be kept alive until that happens. Don't worry, Rose, we're not finished yet."

Rose smiled and kissed his right temple. The Doctor chuckled.

"Awfully brave of you to do that when I look like this," he teased.

"I don't care what you look like, you'll always be my Doctor," Rose said softly as she enfolded her arms around his body. "When he did this to you, I wanted to reach through the monitor and strangle him."

"So you did see it? I was hoping you didn't. It was embarrassing enough being an old man without turning into this."

Rose cuddled him and kissed his head.

"Then again, being small does have its advantages," the Doctor quipped. "I never got this close to you before."

"I missed you so much," Rose said softly.

"I missed you too," the Doctor said.

He sighed contentedly while Rose rubbed his back and kissed his head. Then he felt a teardrop hit the top of his head and he looked up at Rose and saw silent tears running down her cheeks.

"Please don't cry," the Doctor said, putting his hands on her cheeks. "I'm still alive and we'll get out of this."

"I was so scared I would find you dead by the time I got back here," Rose said, rubbing his back. "I was scared that he was torturing you. I had to make myself go on instead of rushing back here."

She swallowed hard and the Doctor watched her with aching hearts while she closed her eyes and cuddled him close to her body. He had thought of similar things over the past year, imagining Rose lying dead somewhere, either from the Toclafane or from exhaustion and exposure. He scared himself some nights imagining all this and feeling guilty that he had given her such a huge task to perform. He longed to be beside her again and even though she was the Master's prisoner and in terrible danger, he was glad that she was reunited with him. There had been so many close calls over the years, particularly Canary Wharf when she nearly tumbled into the Void. The gap closed seconds before she went in and Rose hit the floor about a foot from the wall. The Doctor lost his senses after that and rushed to her, gathering her in his arms and kissing her face repeatedly, terrified at how close he came to losing her forever. She wanted to see her mother after that, to make sure she was safe and the Doctor gladly took her there. He stood by her side, listening while Rose explained about seeing Pete and Mickey and how they went back to the other universe after helping to save the world. Jackie had been furious at the Doctor for risking her daughter's life and wanted to banish him to the TARDIS after Rose asked to spend the night in the flat. Rose put her foot down though and the Doctor spent the night by Rose's bedside, watching her and holding her hand while she slept.

In the years they traveled together, he'd never told her in English that he loved her but he tried to show his love whenever he could and there were times when he spoke to her in Gallifreyan, especially when they cuddled together in his bed. Rose asked him what he said but he always refused, telling her his language was one of the few things he wanted private. He knew it was cowardly but he'd never felt this way about any woman and he was scared that if he vocalized his love, the universe might hear and take her away from him. Intellectually, he knew it was a stupid thing to think but after all the times he lost friends and loved ones; he didn't want to risk what he had now. But he felt safer voicing his feelings in Gallifreyan so while Rose cuddled him, he spoke softly in his native language.

"My beloved," he said in Gallifreyan, "there's no need to fear. We will escape this, all of us, and we'll see the TARDIS again. I will protect you just as you'd protect me. I love you and I will love you eternally, my universe. I wish I could tell you this in English but I don't have the courage. Forgive me for that. I hope, my beloved, you know that these are words of love and devotion being directed at you and you know that my love burns more strongly and fiercely than any star in the universe. You are as close to me as any mate and I will love you long after you are dead, my hearts' desire."

He fell silent, waiting for Rose to ask him to translate. But Rose didn't speak and he figured she realized by now it was useless to ask. But he sensed she knew what he said because she held him tighter and gave him a long, lingering kiss on his head.

"Sleep, Rose. Rest now," the Doctor said when she finished. "We can't do anything right now and you need your strength for what lies ahead. I'll be alright, just close your eyes and relax."

Rose stared at him for a moment and the Doctor could see the trauma and stress of the past year reflected in her eyes and he knew she needed a rest badly. He put his hand on her cheek and gently told her to stretch out and rest. Rose finally nodded and let the Doctor go. The Doctor stepped back and watched while she stretched out on the floor, crooked her arm and put it under her head. She used her other hand and fingered the tiny suit while the Doctor stood by her side.

"Where'd you get this?" she said. "I saw your suit. It didn't shrink when you did."

"The Master had it made for me. Not sure if he did it or found someone else. Frankly, I don't want to think of him at a sewing machine making me a tiny suit."

"No shoes then?" Rose said, pointing to his bare feet.

"Nope. I suppose that was too much effort. Wish he had done though. My tootsies are cold."

Rose chuckled in spite of herself and the Doctor's hearts warmed, hearing her laughter and knowing that she was trying to make the best of a bad situation like he was. He walked over to head and sat down before leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Go to sleep, everything will be fine," he said, patting it.

"Doctor…"

She trailed off while the Doctor waited for her to finish her thought.

"I love you," she finally said softly.

The Doctor's hearts raced, hearing the words coming from his beloved's lips.

_Go on, you coward, say it. Tell her the words she wants to hear_, he thought to himself.

He was about to work up the courage to say the words when Rose suddenly spoke.

"You don't need to say it, Doctor. You tell me you love me whenever you speak Gallifreyan. That's why you won't tell me what you're saying," Rose said. "I know you love me and I love you."

The Doctor smiled and put his hand on her cheek. Rose smiled and closed her eyes. The Doctor stroked her cheek and watched lovingly while she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The Master sat at the conference table, staring off into space while he thought. He thought about how much loyalty the Doctor's pets possessed and how much they were willing to risk for him. Everyone was secure. Jack was chained up and his wife, Doctor and Rose were in separate rooms awaiting punishment. He finally had Rose Tyler in his possession after a year of trying to find her and his plans were still on track. He knew he should be overjoyed but he was thinking about Rose Tyler and how much the child had risked to get back to the Doctor. He had always been amazed at the level of devotion his pets had for him. If he asked his companions to walk through Hell for him, they would without even batting an eyelid. He thought he was charismatic but his former friend's charisma far surpassed his. The Master had to hypnotize people to get them to do his bidding. All the Doctor had to do was ask.

But Rose…Rose seemed different from the others. To absorb the power of the TARDIS and live? That could be useful in so many ways. If only he could harness that power since he was sure the first thing she would do was turn the power on him. He would have to hypnotize her into submission before using her as his tool but first…he wanted to dine with them and have a chat. He smiled as he rose from the table. He needed to do a couple of things first before he went and got them. He went around the table and hurried out of the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Doctor sat beside Rose, watching her while she slept. To his relief, she was sleeping peacefully and he was thankful for that since he knew she was exhausted and needed the rest. He brushed away a few strands of hair from her cheek and laid his hand on it.

"I wish I'd known you on Gallifrey," he whispered while he gazed at her. "You would have made an excellent Time Lady and I would have made you my wife."

He stroked her cheek for awhile before he decided to do a mediation and continue linking with the Archangel Network. He leaned in and kissed her forehead and whispered "Beloved" in Gallifreyan before he leaned back up. He got himself into a meditative position and closed his eyes while he began to breath deeply and go into a trance state. His eyes snapped open when he heard the door unlocking. He glanced at Rose but she was still asleep so he stood up and faced the door.

The door opened and the Master stuck his head inside.

"Ah, good, you're still here," he said before opening the door all the way.

"Whatever you're planning to do, do it to me and not to her," the Doctor growled as he stepped inside.

"Ooo, I'm scared," the Master said while the guards turned and covered him. "Yeah, the smurf is threatening bodily harm if I do something to his faithful disciple, I'm urinating on myself from the fear, really I am."

The Doctor looked at his hands and saw a tiny black dog collar and lead.

"Wake her up," the Master said, nodding at Rose.

"Let her sleep. She's exhausted," the Doctor said.

"And if you do what I say, I'll put her in a room with a bed. Now wake her up," the Master said impatiently.

The Doctor sighed, turned towards Rose and knelt beside her. He patted her cheek gently while he called her name. Rose frowned in her sleep before opening her eyes slightly.

"Wake up, Rose. The Master wants us to go with him now," the Doctor said.

Rose stared at him for a moment before focusing her bleary eyes on the Master. She groaned and the Doctor stepped back as she got up on her hands and knees and got to her feet. The Master noticed that the Doctor was giving him a wary look while she struggled to come awake and he smirked, knowing he was protecting her from him.

"Put this on him," he said, holding out the collar and lead when he had Rose's full attention.

"No, I'm not doing that to him," Rose said.

"Do it or I separate the two of you and you won't see him again until your execution. I don't want him running all over the place causing trouble. Now obey me."

"Do it, Rose," the Doctor said.

Rose gave him a look of hate as she walked over and snatched the collar and lead from his hands. She knelt down and the Doctor walked over to her and waited patiently while she put the collar around his neck. The Master observed them and noticed the loving looks the Doctor was giving Rose. He suspected he felt more love for her than the other humans he traveled with and now he had confirmation. He realized that he could use that to his advantage.

Rose finished buckling the collar and took the lead in her hand. She stood up and glowered at the Master.

"I want to make a request," Rose said.

"And that request would be…" the Master said.

"Change him back. Make him normal again," Rose said, pointing to the Doctor.

The Master smirked. Yes, this relationship of theirs could prove very advantageous for him.

"Well, you see, Miss Tyler," he said, rubbing his hands together, "I don't usually cater to the demands of apes. However, I think you and I can work together. You do what I want and I'll fulfill your request in return."

"Leave her alone, Master," the Doctor snarled at him.

"I notice your Yorkie is becoming hostile now," the Master said. "It's up to you to listen to what I have to say. But as you know, I have the power to sort the Doctor out and turn him back so you have to ask yourself how badly you want that. But hold that thought and come with me. You're probably famished and I want a bit of company for dinner. We can discuss business there. Come on."

"Rose, don't do what he asks," the Doctor said. "Whatever he wants, it won't be worth turning me back to normal."

"I believe I said come with me and I don't like disobedience," the Master said over his shoulder.

Rose started to pick up the Doctor.

"No, let him walk, he has feet," the Master said.

He smirked when Rose glared at him again and straightened back up. She had spirit, he liked that. He beckoned to her and Rose looked down at the Doctor before the two of them walked forward. The Master let Rose and the Doctor walk out the door before following them. He beckoned to the guards and they fell in behind them as the Master caught up to Rose and walked beside her. He glanced down and noticed the two of them were holding hands while Rose held the lead in her free hand. He turned his head to hide his amusement at that.

Yes, this relationship of theirs could prove very advantageous for me, the Master thought to himself while they walked down the corridor.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The Master opened the door for his captives and watched while the Doctor followed Rose inside. He closed the door after telling the guards to stand by and keep watch.

"I thought some steak and potatoes might do for tonight," the Master said while he followed his prisoners to the table.

Rose didn't answer him while she and the Doctor walked around the far side of the table. The Master put his hands behind his back and walked over, observing Rose while she pulled out a chair for the Doctor to sit in. The Doctor climbed up onto the seat and stood there for a moment, looking at Rose. Rose glared at the Master.

"What?" the Master said.

"He needs something to boost him up to the table. He doesn't need to stand like this. Get him something so he can sit down," Rose growled at the Master while she pointed to the Doctor.

"You know, you're quite bossy for someone in your position," the Master said.

He sighed and climbed up to the upper deck. He kept his eyes on Rose while he searched for something to use as a boost for the Doctor. Rose was rubbing the Doctor's back and the Master seethed when he saw the smug grin on the Doctor's face. He found two thick telephone books inside the lower desk drawer and took them out. He brought them over to Rose and presented them to her.

"Happy now?" the Master said.

Rose thanked him and took the books from him. The Doctor walked up to the edge of the chair and looked over his shoulder while Rose put both books down on the chair behind him. He sat down and Rose pushed the chair up to the table, checking to make sure he could see over the table and was comfortable. Then she sat down in the chair beside him.

"She's very devoted to you," the Master said, walking to the head of the table.

"She helps me," the Doctor said, patting her hand while Rose smiled.

"It always amazes me how much love these apes show to you, Doctor. Especially since you put them in all sorts of danger," the Master said, bending over the table towards an embedded intercom.

He used the intercom and ordered three plates of steak and baked potato and three glasses of chardonnay. When he was finished, he sat at the head of the table.

"So…Miss Tyler, I must admit I'm quite impressed," the Master said, folding his hands on the table. "Not many apes could walk the Earth and survive it. Especially with my Toclafane patrolling."

"I had the Doctor's perception filter to hide me," Rose said.

"Yes, I studied it while you were locked up. Stunning piece of work. But then I expected nothing less from the Doctor," the Master said, turning his gaze on him. "Do you remember the day he talked to Jack about you and explained what happened to make him immortal?"

"Yes," Rose said.

"I'm equally impressed at that, Miss Tyler. To be able to absorb the heart of the TARDIS and survive that. You're made of stronger stuff than the usual grunts the Doctor uses," the Master said. "Which is why I'm willing to negotiate with you now."

"Rose, don't do this," the Doctor said, touching her arm.

"I think the ape can speak for herself," the Master said to him. "She does have a mind of her own, does she not?"

"Yes and unlike you, I don't take control of it," the Doctor growled back.

"Whatever," the Master said, waving his hand dismissively. "As I was saying, I'm open to negotiation if you are."

"What do you want?" Rose said.

"I want you to absorb the heart of the TARDIS again," the Master said. "In return, I'll restore the Doctor to his former self and set him and the other captives free."

"Rose, no!" the Doctor said. "You nearly died the last time you did that."

"Why do you want me to become the Bad Wolf again?" Rose said, ignoring the pleading look on the Doctor's face.

"Because I want to use you as a tool," the Master said. "With that sort of power I can conquer the universe."

"And you want me to betray the Doctor so I can conquer the universe for you," Rose said.

"Well, you could refuse and watch the Doctor die in agony," the Master said calmly.

He stopped talking when the door opened and two guards came into the room wheeling their food in on a silver trolley. While the guards set their food out in front of them. Rose thought it over. She didn't want to help the Master conquer the universe but she didn't want to see the Doctor suffer and die either. But while she thought it over, a plan began to form and she suddenly decided to take a huge risk in order to save the Doctor, her friends and the Earth.

"Alright, I agree to help you," Rose said.

The Doctor had just picked up his fork but he let it clatter back on his plate the moment she said that and he turned and stared at her in silent shock while Rose ignored him.

"Rose, I'm not worth it," he said to her.

"Yes, you are. You're worth it to me," Rose said while the Master gave the Doctor a triumphant look. "But…I'll do this on one condition."

"Yes?" the Master said.

"I want him changed back before I become the Bad Wolf again," Rose said.

"What is this…Bad Wolf?" the Master said, frowning.

"It's what the entity inside her called itself," the Doctor said.

"Entity? You mean there's something inside her that became manifest when the energy was absorbed?" the Master said, even more intrigued than he was before.

"I don't know. All I know is it wasn't Rose speaking, it was something called the Bad Wolf and it was controlling Rose," the Doctor said.

"Really?" the Master said, liking this more and more. "And is it still there inside her?"

"I don't know and I don't want you to find out," the Doctor said. "Rose, stop this. You can't do this, you'll kill yourself! You couldn't control the Bad Wolf the last time and I had to use a regeneration to save you."

"Doctor…" Rose said, turning her face to him.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment while the Master watched. He figured something unspoken must have passed between him because the Doctor nodded and patted her hand before she turned her attention back to the Master.

"I'll do it, just change him back," Rose said, gesturing to the Doctor.

"I hope you know that any tricks you're formulating right now won't work. I am going to hypnotize you before this happens so you don't turn on me like Lucy did."

"I understand, just change him back, please," Rose said.

The Master wasn't entirely convinced. He figured she was up to something but he also figured he could hypnotize her into submission. Besides, he knew he could kill her if she tried to turn on him. He nodded, stood up and pulled out his laser screwdriver.

"The smurf needs to stand back unless he wants his legs crushed under the table when he grows," the Master said.

Rose gladly took the collar off the Doctor's face.

"I hope you know what you're doing," the Doctor murmured to her when her head was close to his.

While Rose was doing that, the Master called the guards into the room so they could keep their guns at the ready in case the Doctor tried to fight back. Rose took the collar off and watched while the Doctor slid off the chair and walked to the far side of the room. The Master adjusted the setting on the screwdriver while the Doctor waited patiently. When the Master turned it on him, Rose winced at the Doctor's pained yells as he twisted and contorted around but to her relief, she could see he was growing bigger. The Master kept it up until he was back to normal and the Doctor was standing naked before everyone, the tiny clothes having ripped off his body as he grew. Rose ran to him and hugged him while the Doctor held his hands over his genitals. Rose kissed his cheek and leaned into his ear.

"Trust me," she whispered to him.

The Doctor nodded, happy to be his normal youthful self. Rose pulled away from him and thanked the Master.

"No, thank you," the Master said with a smirk.

He asked the guards to get the Doctor some clothes and when they returned with a guard outfit, the Master waited until the Doctor put it on and asked everyone to resume their meal. The guards stood by, guns at the ready while the Doctor and Rose sat down with the Master and finished their meal.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

After dinner, Rose asked if she could be taken back to her cell with the Doctor so she could speak to him before she was enslaved. The Master was a bit wary of that before he got an idea. He brought more guards into the room and asked them to watch over the captives while he hurried to his lab. The Doctor and Rose remained silent and finished their meal, not wanting to say anything in front of the guards that could be passed on to the Master. The Master returned twenty minutes later carrying a metal collar with a metal box protruding from it.

"This box has an explosive on it," the Master said, pointing to the box on the side of the collar. "If the Doctor resists, tries anything to rescue you or makes a general nuisance of himself, I will activate the explosive by remote control and his head is blown off his body, is that understood?"

The Doctor nodded and allowed the Master to put the collar around his neck and lock it with a key.

"I mean it, Doctor. Try to save your girlfriend and BOOM!" he said, miming an explosion with his hands.

"I understand," the Doctor said.

The Master ordered the guards to take them back to the storage room. The Doctor went willingly and offered no resistance, wanting to get Rose alone so he could ask her about the plan he knew she had thought up. They walked together, holding hands while the guards formed a semicircle around them. He waited until they were alone in the storage room and the door was locked before he turned to Rose and folded his arms over his chest.

"Out with it, what are you planning?" he said, stepping away from the door.

"Doctor, please don't be angry with me," Rose said as the Doctor came close to her, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I'm angry that you're willing to put the entire universe in jeopardy to save my skin," he said to her. "Now why have you done this? You came up with a plan, a very foolhardy plan, I might add since the Master is no fool. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let the Bad Wolf stop the Master," Rose said defiantly. "It'll sort things out, you'll see."

"That's it? You're hinging the safety of yourself and the universe on this entity?" the Doctor said in disbelief. "Rose, what if this Bad Wolf is gone and all that's left is your mind and it burns this time because if I try to interfere my head gets blasted off my body. He's going to hypnotize you. Are you telling me you're trusting this thing to counteract the hypnotic suggestion of a master hypnotist who could hypnotize you so deeply you'd have not a scrap of will left. This is what you're willing to risk just so I could return to normal?"

"I had to risk it," Rose said weakly. "We had to think of something to stop him from destroying the Earth and other planets."

"I did think of something," the Doctor growled. "That's why I asked you to come back at a specific time and a specific hour. Now that plan is probably ruined because you cared more about me than the human race."

"Yes, I do care more about you!" Rose yelled. "I love you and I'm sorry if I'm willing to risk everything for you. That's what you want, isn't it? For me to be your helper and save the universe. I just got done walking the goddamn Earth for you, Doctor. I nearly died out there and you don't seem to be too concerned about that because that was a part of your plan! It's alright for me to risk my life if you think up the plan but if I do it…well, I'm just a stupid ape who doesn't know what she's doing, right?"

She stomped over to the back of the wall and leaned against it while the Doctor watched her with silent anguish. Rose sobbed softly while the Doctor's hearts tore in two and his shoulders slumped while he walked to her side.

"You're not a stupid ape," he said wearily while he ran his finger down her arm. "You're right, it is hypocritical of me to get angry when you risk your own life when I risk it all the time. But after Canary Wharf…I nearly lost you because you took matters into your own hands and now I could lose you again…"

He trailed off and walked away. Rose turned her face and watched while he walked to the other side of the room and slumped to the floor beside the door. He brought his knees up to his chest and encircled them with his arms while he stared at the floor. Rose's heart was aching now and she wiped the tears from her cheeks while she walked towards him. She put her hand on his shoulder but the Doctor didn't look up.

"I'm sorry," Rose said softly before walking over to the other side of the door and slumping down beside it. She mirrored the Doctor's posture while she stared numbly off into space. The Doctor looked up and gazed at her for a moment before he got to his feet. He walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"We did this on Satellite Five," he said, staring ahead while Rose's eyes dropped to the ground. "We argued and sat on opposite sides of the stairs. We fought when the reapers came. We don't fight very often but it always seems to be monumental when we do."

"All I want to do is make you proud of me," Rose murmured while she stared at the floor.

The Doctor grinned at that.

"You do," he said softly. "You're the first companion I ever had who had to walk the Earth. That alone is impressive."

"But you're upset that I'm risking my own life now," Rose said, looking at him.

The Doctor stared at the floor for a moment in silent thought.

"I let you in, closer than I ever let anyone before," he said while he stared at the floor. "I shouldn't have done that but…."

He trailed off again.

"You fell in love with me," Rose said, studying him.

The Doctor didn't respond to that.

"Don't you think I worried about you this past year?" Rose said softly while she gazed at him. "I lay awake most nights wondering what the Master was doing to you and wishing I was there to protect you."

"I want you safe, my Doctor," the Doctor murmured.

"Yes. I don't remember saying that but when you told me what I said as the Bad Wolf, it rang true because I have a feeling those words were from me and not this thing that was possessing me. I do want you safe and if I have to play with fire to do that, I will."

The Doctor looked at her.

"Jackie was right. She told me you were becoming like me and you are," he said. "I take people on a journey through time and space so they can see the wonders of the universe and no matter what I do or don't do; they always end up acting like me in the end."

"Because you're worth emulating," Rose said. "I don't know about the others but I look up to you and want to do what you do. You risk your life all the time for the sake of the universe and I want to be as brave and selfless as you are. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I wanted that but…"

"But you want to control who we face," Rose said before the Doctor could finish. "You want to be in control at all times and be able to say, okay, this one isn't that bad, you can fight him or no, this one is too dangerous, stay back and let me deal with him. But life doesn't work that way, Doctor. If I want to risk my life then don't I have that right?"

"Yes, because I'm not going to enslave you like the Master would," the Doctor said. "But at the same time, I do care for everyone who's ever traveled with me and worry about them. I know I can't wrap you up in cotton wool but I don't like you taking foolish risks and gambling with your life. If I'm restrained and I can't get to you and history repeats itself, you'll die in agony while the TARDIS energy burns you from the inside out. Is that a risk you're prepared to take?"

Rose thought for a moment before nodding.

"Then I won't stop you," the Doctor said. "I just want you to know the risks before you try this plan of yours, especially since it doesn't seem to be thought out."

He sighed.

"But I can't say anything about that either since I've thought up plans off the cuff. I just care about you, Rose, more than you'll ever know and the last thing I want to see if you dying in front of me."

Rose nodded and the Doctor put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. He laid his head against hers and Rose held his hand until they heard the door unlocking. The Doctor kissed her forehead and whispered good luck to her before both of them stood up and turned to face the guards.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Doctor glanced at Rose while they walked together. He could see the steely resolve on her face and he knew she was committed to this plan of hers. She didn't look frightened but he also knew she was good at masking her feelings just like he was. It terrified him to think that he might have to save her from herself once more. He thought the Bad Wolf was dead and gone but now it managed to rear its ugly head again and this time he might not be able to stop it from destroying the woman he loved.

The guards led them to the laboratory where the Master was waiting for them.

"Ah, obedience, that's what I love to see," he said as they entered. "Come inside. Guards, keep the Doctor under guard while I make Rose comfortable."

He gestured to a reclining leather chair beside him. The chair had straps on it and above it was a TV monitor. The monitor was pointing down to the chair.

"Come here," the Master said to Rose.

"Trust me," Rose whispered to the Doctor while she gave his hand a squeeze.

The Doctor nodded and watched while Rose stepped away from him and walked through the opening the guards made for her. Then suddenly a bright circle of light surrounded the Doctor and the Master smirked as he pulled a small black remote out of his pocket.

"Sorry, had to use a forcefield prison," the Master said while Rose spun around and looked at what he'd done. "Can't even trust my guards to keep you in check. You understand, right?"

"I swear, Master. If you hurt her or kill her, you better start running because there won't be a corner of the universe where you'll be safe from me," the Doctor snarled at him.

"Yeah, I'll take my chances. Rose, come here!" he said, beckoning to her.

The Doctor watched with heavy hearts while Rose walked to the chair and sat down in it when the Master pointed at it. He let the guards restrain her into it while he walked over to a metal counter and picked up a pair of heavy black headphones on top of it. He plugged the headphones into an outlet on the side of the monitor and slipped the headphones onto Rose's head.

"This'll block out the frantic pleadings of the wimp over there," he said, nodding his head at the Doctor. "I want you to concentrate on this telly and watch the nice program. Do that and the Doctor won't be vaporized into a million atoms, got it?"

"Yes," Rose said.

The Master patted her on the top of the head.

"If only my wife could be as obedient as you," he said to Rose before turning on the TV. "Now just be good and watch the telly and relax, just…relax."

Rose glanced over at the Doctor. Her heart ached when she saw the anguish on his face and she knew this was killing him inside. She hated that she was putting him through this mental torment and she hoped her hunch would pay off and free them all. At first there was nothing on the monitor except static and there was nothing in the headphones. Then suddenly there was this eerie sound in her ears, a high-pitched ooing that sounded like background music on an old horror movie. Then she saw a multicolor swirl on the monitor. The swirling started off slowly at first and then picked up speed while the ooing became higher and higher pitched until she couldn't physically hear it. At first all this did was annoy her but she eventually felt herself relaxing and her will slipped away while she stared blankly at the screen. The Master gave a triumphant look to his seething adversary.

"Don't know what Blondie had in mind volunteering to do this but I have a feeling things aren't going as planned for her," he said to the Doctor.

"I mean it, Master. You better hope she doesn't die or I'll show you no mercy," the Doctor growled.

The Master snorted at that and rolled his eyes. The Doctor watched while the brainwashing continued until the Master proclaimed she was done a half hour later. He turned off everything and slid the headphones off her head. Rose lay there, unseeing, and the Doctor felt like his world was crashing down around him. The Master motioned for the guards to unstrap her and he stood back, hands behind his back, while he watched them. When they were through, he ordered Rose to sit up and she did it without hesitation. He ordered her to stand up and she obeyed, a blank look on her face.

"See, she's not as tough as she thought," the Master said to the Doctor.

He switched off the forcefield after ordering the guards to stand around the Doctor. The Doctor resisted lunging at his adversary, knowing that the Master could have the guards shoot her dead if he tried anything. To his surprise, he allowed him to come to Rose but he knew the Master was keeping a close eye on him while he did and would blow his head off his body without any hesitation. He came forward and the guards kept their guns trained on him while he embraced Rose. She was unresponsive but he was thankful she was alive at least.

"Now, we're going to walk to your TARDIS and you're going to order the TARDIS to open herself so she can absorb the energy. You can walk with her as long as you don't try to resist. Do anything and you die and so does she. So, will you be good and do this for me?" he said in a condescending tone of voice.

"Yes, Master," the Doctor said, matching his condescension.

"See, this is why you shouldn't take along companions when you travel. They can be used against you," the Master said, walking up to him and patting his shoulder. "Guards, keep an eye on him. Rose, follow us. All of us are going to the TARDIS."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

When they stepped inside the interior of the TARDIS, the Doctor felt a brief sensation of being home again. He just wished the Master and his guards weren't standing inside it with his brainwashed companion. He had been by Rose's side, keeping watch over her even though she was unresponsive to him and there really wasn't much he could do to help her. Still, it gave him a sense of peace to be at her side and he hoped somewhere deep inside, she remembered herself and him and took comfort in his closeness to her.

"Order your ship to open up," the Master said to the Doctor.

The Doctor glowered at him. He kept his arm around Rose while he asked his ship to open the console and allow Rose to look into the heart of the TARDIS. He sensed his ship's hesitation and he had to mentally tell her to do it. Then the top of the console snapped up, revealing a beautiful golden light inside.

"Rose, look into the light," the Master said, pointing to the console.

The Doctor let go of Rose but stayed near while she walked forward and looked into the light. The Doctor's hearts lurched when the energy began to stream into her through her open eyes and he knew if this killed her, he'd never forgive himself. Everyone watched silently while Rose absorbed the energy and when she was done, she leaned back up and turned to face the Master. Her eyes were glowing and the Doctor got a flashback to the last time it happened, when the Bad Wolf nearly destroyed her and he lost a life to it. He knew without hesitation that he would do it again to save her but he wished history didn't have to repeat itself. He looked at the Master and noticed he wasn't quite sure what to make of Rose now. He looked afraid and the Doctor smirked at that.

You should be afraid, Master, he thought to himself. You should be very afraid.

"I am speaking to the entity inside Rose, are you there?" the Master said.

"Yes," Rose said dully.

"Are you the Bad Wolf?" the Master said.

"Yes," Rose said dully.

"She still looks hypnotized," the Master said to the Doctor.

"Looks can be deceiving," the Doctor said.

The guards were all backing away towards the ramp, all of them with uneasy expressions on their faces. Rose wasn't doing anything at the moment but the Doctor sensed something reaching out to his mind and making contact with it. He probed it silently and felt a mixture of Rose and something else. He knew then that the Bad Wolf wasn't in the Master's power. However, Rose still looked hypnotized and the Doctor began to hope that both Rose and the Bad Wolf were about to turn the tables on his old enemy.

"Okay, a little test then," the Master said, rubbing his hands together. "Bad Wolf, I order you to vaporize the Doctor into atoms to show your loyalty to me."

Rose turned towards the Doctor and he stiffened but when her face was away from the Master, she winked at the Doctor and he relaxed. Then she came close to him and he stiffened again. She put her arms around him and the golden light emanated from her body and surrounded him. The Doctor figured it he was going to be vaporized; at least his last moments would be surrounded by a beautiful light. He gazed at Rose and looked into her gold flecked eyes while the light became more intense and enveloped them completely. Time seemed to stand still for the Doctor but there was no pain and no fear while the Bad Wolf held him in her embrace.

"Doctor."

The Doctor frowned. Rose spoke to him in her voice but there was another voice mixed in with it at the same time, a deeper female voice that he couldn't recognize.

"Bad Wolf?" he said.

"No," both Rose and the entity said in unison, "I am Rose and I am the TARDIS. We are one."

"What about the Bad Wolf?" the Doctor said.

"The Bad Wolf is no longer here," both said.

"Then Rose is unprotected?" the Doctor said in horror.

"I protect her," both said. "I have allowed Rose to merge with me and I will undo all the Master has done but there must be a sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" the Doctor said, his stomach sinking to his feet.

"Rose must forget you and go back home."

"No, I won't allow that," the Doctor said, anguished.

"I have a way to stop the Master but it must mean taking his Time Lord consciousness into Rose's mind."

"No, that'll kill her," the Doctor said, not caring if the Master heard him or not. "Her human mind will burn with all that knowledge."

"Which is why you must take that knowledge out of her and wipe it from her mind completely," the TARDIS said. "This is the price she must pay for allowing me to inhabit her body and use her."

"No, there must be another way," the Doctor said, his voice choking at the thought of losing Rose forever.

"Doctor."

The Doctor blinked when Rose spoke. Now it was only her and the Doctor's eyes misted over when he saw pure love in her eyes while she gazed at him.

"I will always remember you in my heart," she said, stroking his cheek. "I accept the price I must pay to save you and the Earth. I will love you always."

"Rose, don't do this," the Doctor said in a quavering voice while she laid her hand against his cheek.

"I love you, my Doctor," she said.

The light suddenly faded away and intensified again in Rose's eyes. The Doctor looked up and saw the stunned expression on the Master's face.

"You have committed an atrocity against the human race," Rose and the TARDIS said together. "You must pay for what you did."

The Master was terrified. He backed up away from RoseTARDIS and looked at the Doctor.

"I warned you, Master. You wouldn't listen and now both of us have to suffer," he said angrily.

RoseTARDIS looked at the guards and they dropped their guns and fled the TARDIS in fear. The Master tried the same thing and grunted when something froze his feet to the floor.

"You have meddled with time," RoseTARDIS said while the Master stared at her in horror. "I reverse all that you have done, Time Lord."

The Doctor was aware of a whooshing sound outside the TARDIS door and he sensed time was reversing. But everything within the confines of the TARDIS remained unaffected. The Master seemed to take no notice of the change. He stood there riveted to the spot, staring into RoseTARDIS's eyes while she stared back calmly. After a few minutes, the whooshing sound stopped. Then Rose's body began to glow brightly and suddenly Jack and Lucy appeared inside the TARDIS at the Doctor's feet.

"What the hell?" Jack said, looking around. "What the hell is going on, Doctor?"

"The TARDIS is within Rose and she just reversed time," the Doctor said.

"The Toclafane are returned to the year one hundred trillion and I have reversed time back to the moment before they entered this universe," RoseTARDIS said to the Master. "Everyone except those on the Valiant have no memory of your crimes."

"Why do the people on the Valiant still remember it then?" Jack said to the Doctor when he and Lucy came up beside him.

"Because the Valiant is at the eye of the storm so we were unaffected," the Doctor said.

"And now, you will be punished," RoseTARDIS said, moving towards the Master.

The Master tried to move but an invisible force kept his feet rooted to the floor. He shook his head and held out his hands for RoseTARDIS to stop but RoseTARDIS put her hands on the sides of his head. The Master screamed in pain while the golden light intensified around her hands and arms.

"What's she doing?" Jack said to the Doctor.

"Taking the Master's Time Lord consciousness into Rose's body," the Doctor said grimly. "She's turning him into a human."

The light from RoseTARDIS's hands enveloped the Master and he screamed in agony while RoseTARDIS looked on passively. Five minutes later, the light faded and the Master fell to the floor unconscious.

"Is he human now?" Lucy asked the Doctor.

"Yes," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "And I'm willing to bet he doesn't remember who he is either."

"That is correct, Doctor," RoseTARDIS said, turning to him. "He is now a human called Harry Saxon. He has no memory of being the Master. He is no longer a threat. And now, my Doctor, I must return to the TARDIS and leave this human vessel behind. I love you, we both love you and we always will."

They watched while the light streamed out of Rose's body and went back into the opening in the console. The Doctor moved close to Rose and when the energy was gone from her body, he caught her as her unconscious body fell to the floor and held her close, knowing that when she woke up, he would have to do the thing he dreaded most in the entire universe.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"While they waited for Rose to wake up, the Doctor told Jack to take Lucy to the med bay so her wounds could be treated. He carried Rose to his bedroom, each step feeling like a lead weight to him while he gazed at his lover resting peacefully in his arms. The TARDIS had transported Harry Saxon to one of her holding cells and was keeping him sedated but for the moment, the Doctor didn't give a damn about him or anyone else. Only Rose mattered to him.

By the time they entered the bedroom, Rose began to stir and the Doctor swallowed hard. He had hoped to have a bit more time before she woke so he could lay with her and caress her but Rose was always looking around in confusion. She finally looked at the Doctor and he could sense the heightened intelligence that lay behind her eyes. He gently helped her stand but Rose kept her eyes on him while her feet touched the ground. She seemed to be in a trance and for a moment, the Doctor feared she was still under the Master's thrall but then a huge, familiar smile broke out on her face and despite the anguish he was feeling, the Doctor couldn't help but smile along.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked her.

"No. But I know what I am now," Rose said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I feel the timelines. I am like you now."

The Doctor studied her. She appeared normal for the moment but he knew it couldn't last. Still, he hoped against hope that Rose would prove the TARDIS wrong.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

Rose beamed from ear to ear.

"I feel wonderful," she murmured as she gazed into his eyes. "I am like you now."

"No, Rose, you're not like me," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

"But I am. I have a Time Lady mind now. I am your equal," Rose said, stroking his cheek. "Now, at last, we can be together. I can truly help you now that I can see the timelines. You'll never be alone ever again."

The Doctor's hearts lurched at that. He wanted to scream at the universe for doing this to him. Especially since Rose didn't seem to understand the implications of what she'd done. She spoke to him when they were inside the light and told him she'd understood and accepted her sacrifice but she didn't seem to remember saying that. But when he looked closely, he could suddenly see that her cheerfulness was forced and he realized she was trying to lie to him as well as herself.

"You know what you did and you know what must be done now," the Doctor said bluntly, deciding to bring everything out in the open.

The smile fell off Rose's face and the Doctor could see fear in her eyes now.

"No, I'm fine," Rose said, backing away from him while the Doctor watched in silent agony. "I can handle having a Time Lord mind, honestly."

"Rose, you're human, your mind can't process all that knowledge. The TARDIS told me what must be done in order to save you."

"No, please," Rose said, holding up her hands. "Don't do this, please."

She spun around and tried to run out the door but the TARDIS shut it and absorbed it into the wall. Rose spun back around and shook her head when the Doctor came close to her.

"No, I don't want to go," she said in a childlike voice and for a moment, the Doctor saw her as a frightened little child instead of the Defender of the Earth.

Rose continued to back up until she was back against the wall. She shook her head while the Doctor pressed his body up against hers.

"I don't want to forget," she said in a trembling voice.

"I know," the Doctor said dully, steeling himself for what had to be done. "But you heard and accepted the price for doing all this. You made the Master human and took his mind into your own but you can't live with that mind, Rose. It'll burn you up."

"But I'll never see you again," Rose said, her eyes pleading with him for mercy.

The Doctor nodded and Rose flinched when he put his fingers on her temples.

"You can understand me now," he said in Gallifreyan.

Rose swallowed hard and nodded.

"Then hear me," he said in Gallifreyan. "You will always be a part of me and I will never forget you. I love you and I always will, my hearts."

Tears were streaming down Rose's cheeks as the Doctor kissed her forehead and nose.

"Close your eyes, my love," he said in Gallifreyan. "And let me save you one last time."

There was a moment of hesitation and the Doctor knew Rose still held out hope that he wouldn't go through with it. But he didn't waver and Rose finally submitted, shutting her eyes with a shuddering sob. The Doctor kissed her forehead, whispered his love for her and then closed his eyes and entered her mind.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Jackie was sitting in her living room, leafing through a magazine while listening to a chat show on the television. Suddenly, she perked up when she heard a distant wheezing and threw the magazine on the floor while she leapt up from her chair. Her heart racing, she bolted to the door and flung it open, eager to see her daughter. But when she got out on the balcony and looked down, she realized that something must be wrong because she could see the Doctor and a strange man walking towards the building. Her heart sank when she saw Rose in the Doctor's arms and she looked unconscious. Cursing under her breath, she leaned back against the wall beside the door, arms folded over her chest while she waited for the Doctor to come up.

When the Doctor and the man finally reached her, Jackie reared back her hand, intending to slap the shit outta him. The Doctor stopped and stared at her silently, waiting for the blow.

"Go ahead and do it," he said dully. "I deserve it."

Jackie lowered her hand when she heard that and saw the heartbroken look on his face. She looked at Rose. She was breathing and seemed okay, just sleeping.

"What happened?" she said.

"Can I come inside with Jack or would you prefer to shriek at me here," the Doctor said.

"Come inside before people start asking questions," Jackie said, looking around before she stepped into her flat.

The Doctor walked inside followed by Jack. He asked Jack to chat with Jackie for a moment while she went past her toward Rose's bedroom. He laid her on her bed and made her comfortable. He stared at her silently while he caressed her cheek.

"It was inevitable, Rose," he said softly while he gazed at her. "No matter how much I want my friends to stay, they always leave in the end, one way or another. You told me you'd stay with me forever but there's never forever in my world, only "Awhile" and now you must go back to your life while I go back to mine. Goodbye, my love, I told you once before to have a fantastic life and I still mean that."

He kissed her forehead and lingered there for a moment before forcing himself to get up and go face Jackie.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Doctor sighed, his hearts on the floor as he and Jack walked out of Jackie's flat. It went better than he thought. She didn't scream at him or slap him, just sat and listened while he explained what happened to her and how she would never remember anything of him or their travels. In fact, Jackie gave him a hug after he finished.

"I'm glad you brought her back safely to me," Jackie said to him. "You fulfilled your promise to protect her. I don't remember this whole alternate reality but I suppose that's because I wasn't in the Valiant. I know we were often at odds but you became a part of my life and I have to admit I grew fond of you, Doctor. I hope you'll visit sometimes even if its at times when Rose isn't present. I'll miss you."

Then Jackie kissed him on the cheek and this time, the Doctor didn't flinch. He wasn't sure if he'd ever return because the temptation to see Rose again would be too great but he was glad that Jackie was ending it on a positive note. He was heading out the door when Jackie grabbed his arm.

"Don't give up on her," Jackie said to him. "If there's a way to restore her memories safely, do it. I know sometimes I didn't think so but in the end, she was better off for meeting you."

The Doctor nodded and smiled and Jackie stood at the door and watched them walk away.

"Mum?"

She stiffened and turned to see Rose standing in the living room.

"What's going on?" she said, coming to the door.

"Nothing, love, just saying goodbye to some old friends that popped by," Jackie said, trying to keep calm.

She tried to block Rose but she pushed past her mother and stepped out onto the balcony. She looked both ways and called out to the Doctor and Jack when she saw them. The Doctor froze and Jack glanced at him before they both slowly turned. Rose was walking towards them and Jack noticed the Doctor had a stricken look on his face. He looked at Rose but didn't see any recognition on her face so he stepped forward when Rose reached them.

"Hello, I'm Rose," Rose said to them.

"John Smith," the Doctor said after regaining his composure.

"I'm Davy Jones," Jack said, extending his hand.

The Doctor gave him an odd look while Jack shook Rose's hand warmly.

"Rose, they need to get going," Jackie called to her. "Come back inside and have some lunch."

"Okay, mum," Rose called back.

She looked at the Doctor and Jack.

"Nice meetin' ya," she said.

"And you," Jack said while the Doctor nodded and smiled.

Jackie called to her again and Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. The two men looked at each other and shared a grin while Rose walked back to her mother.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"That went well," Jack said as he and the Doctor entered the TARDIS. "So I guess your mind wipe worked."

"Davy Jones?" the Doctor said to him while he closed the door.

"I panicked and that's the first thing that popped into my mind," Jack said.

The Doctor shook his head and walked towards the console. But when he reached it, he just stood there staring at it numbly. Jack swallowed hard and walked up behind him.

"She's alive, Doc, that's better than the alternative," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I know," the Doctor said dully. "But she's not with me and even though Jackie offered the invitation, I can't go back. There's too much temptation for me there."

"But you won't give up searching for a way to restore her, right?" Jack said. "I'll have my team work on it when we're not on assignment."

"You're not coming with me?" the Doctor said, turning to him.

Jack flinched when he saw a lost look in his eyes. He'd never seen it before and it unnerved him that the loss of Rose could affect his friend this deeply. He knew they'd been lovers but he didn't realize how deep the bond had been until now. He swallowed hard, hating to tell his friend no but he forced himself to shake his head.

"I have a team now, Doctor. They need my leadership and guidance and I need them. The Earth needs me," he said. "I missed traveling with you but…I have to say no, I'm sorry."

The Doctor nodded and smiled.

"You've come a long way from our first meeting, Jack," he said. "I'm proud of you."

"Coming from you, that means a lot," Jack said, deeply touched.

The Doctor decided to take the TARDIS into the vortex for the moment so Rose wouldn't stumble on it. Once they were in the vortex, the Doctor walked over to his jump seat and slumped down. Jack watched sadly while he put his hand over his eyes and shook his head.

"They always leave me in the end," he murmured. "I should be used to this by now but…"

"Rose was special?" Jack said, coming towards the jump seat.

The Doctor took his hand away from his eyes as Jack sat down. The Doctor propped his feet up on the rim of the console and stared blankly at the rotor while Jack watched his friend.

"Rose came at a time when I was broken, mentally and emotionally," he said while he stared at the rotor. "She was like a ray of sunshine in the darkness of my life and she restored me in a way no one ever did."

"And you loved her for it," Jack said.

"She also imprinted herself on me when I regenerated," the Doctor said.

"What does that mean?" Jack said, frowning.

"It means that I usually form a particularly close bond to the person that I first lay eyes on in a new body," the Doctor said. "And that person usually is the one that affects me the most when they leave. It's odd but I suppose after a regeneration, I need someone to latch on to and be friends with. Rose was the first person I saw in this body and that helped strengthened the connection we already had. I fell in love with her more deeply than before and now she's gone."

"Damn, I shoulda stayed in the TARDIS when you were on the Gamestation so you could latch on to me," Jack said, slapping his leg.

The Doctor eyed him and smiled when he saw the mirth in his eyes. He managed a chuckle.

"Yeah, I can just imagine what would have happened you would have imprinted on me," he said while Jack giggled.

He fell silent again while he stared at the rotor but Jack sensed that he was somewhat at peace and he was glad. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to go back to being the brooding, angry Doctor he knew before.

"Is Lucy alright?" the Doctor said, looking at Jack.

"Yeah, I let her rest in the med bay and I'm assuming she's still there," Jack said.

"I need to take her somewhere when she's well enough," the Doctor said.

"What about the Master?" Jack said.

"Dunno, that's what's been weighing on my mind since Rose changed him into a human," the Doctor said. "I don't even know if he remembers being prime minister. I haven't spoken to him yet."

"I have a thought," Jack said.

"Yeah?" the Doctor said, looking at him.

"Let me take him back to Torchwood. We can keep an eye on him and perhaps I can mold him into one of the team. Give him something productive to do with his life for a change."

The Doctor looked at the rotor while he thought that over.

"I suppose if anyone could keep an eye on him, It'd be you," he finally said.

"Well, consider this. He gets out of line, we put him into cryostasis inside the Hub and he'll sleep there and not pose a danger to anyone," Jack said.

"Alright, I'll entrust Harry Saxon to you then," the Doctor said. "As for Lucy, let's go and see if she's well enough to speak to us so I can find out where to take her."

Jack nodded and patted the Doctor's leg before both of them got up and headed out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy looked over when the Doctor and Jack came into the room. She was lying in a bed in the corner of the room reading a book. A couple more books were by her side. She lowered the book she was reading while the Doctor put on a cheerful face and sauntered over.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, pleased that she seemed to be healing and the bruises on her face and arms were gone.

"I'm feeling better," Lucy said. "Your ship put this healing light on me and gave me a few books to read while I lay here. It's an impressive ship, I have to say."

"Yes, she's wonderful," the Doctor said, sitting down at the end of the bed while Jack stood by the head of it. "So…what do you want to do now? Do you want to go back home? I can take you anywhere you want to go."

Lucy thought for a moment.

"What about Harry?" she said.

"He's coming with me," Jack said. "I'm going to make him a member of my Torchwood team and teach him to help people rather than hurt them."

"So he won't be punished?" Lucy said in disbelief.

"He's human now," the Doctor said. "He's been turned into the very thing he despised. I think that's punishment enough."

"But you're letting him live," Lucy said. "What if something happens and he remembers who he is. Shouldn't you make sure he's stopped permanently instead of giving him a job."

"I'm going to keep a close eye on him," Jack said. "And I have four other team members who can help me. And we have the means to imprison and stop him if he gets out of line."

Lucy shook her head.

"I think you're making a mistake," she said. "Harry should be put to death for what he did…and I should as well," she said after a long pause.

"No, the Master hypnotized you and kept you under his thrall," the Doctor said gently. "You didn't know what you were doing until you were able to finally fight his influence."

"Can you take me back home to my father?" Lucy said.

"I can take you anywhere you want to go," the Doctor said.

Lucy gazed at him for a moment.

"Do you hate me?" she finally said to him.

"No," the Doctor said.

"Even after all I did to you?"

"I told you, you weren't in your right mind. Besides, the Master tortured me. It's true you stood by and watched, but you weren't the one who aged me. I reserve my hate for greater foes than you, like the Daleks."

"And you?" Lucy said to Jack.

"I don't hate you either," Jack said with a shrug. "I'm of the same mind as the Doctor. There are worse things out there than you. On the universal radar of evil, you didn't even register as a blip. I have better things to do than hate you."

"So, are we clear on that?" the Doctor said. "No one hates or blames you. If I hated you, I wouldn't have let my ship heal you and offer to take you back home."

"Thank you," Lucy said.

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"You know…" Jack said, leaning in to the Doctor. "You could take her with you. Perhaps she'd like to see the universe?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"That could be another possibility. Travel with me, Lucy," he said while Jack grinned.

"Through time and space?" Lucy said.

"You've done it already with the Master. Now come and experience time travel the correct way and help me in the process."

"What about Rose?" Lucy said.

The Doctor sighed sadly.

"She's gone," he said to Lucy. "There was a…complication and I had to take her back home. I'm alone now and I hate being alone and you helped us so I want to offer you a chance to travel with me."

Lucy fell silent for a moment while she thought it over.

"I want to redeem myself," she finally said.

"Then come and do that with me," the Doctor said. "I'm willing to trust you if you're willing to trust me."

"As your wife?" Lucy said warily.

"Um…no…" the Doctor said, smiling while Jack chuckled. "As a friend."

Lucy thought about it and realized that the Doctor's offer sounded good to her. She really didn't want to go home and face her father again and she wanted to do something to make up for the damage she did at the Master's side. She finally nodded.

"Okay, I accept," she said.

The Doctor beamed and Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He offered the suggestion because he was afraid of what his friend might do if he was alone. He knew the Doctor needed people to travel with him. He would do it but he had obligations and here was someone that was free to do so. He noticed his friend looked happier at the prospect of traveling with a new friend and even though he knew he would mourn Rose, he at least had someone around to keep him company and offer him support.

"Well, I have to take Jack and the Mas…Harry back to Torchwood. After that, we can find something to do, yeah?" the Doctor said.

Lucy nodded and the Doctor got up. He told her to rest and patted her on the shoulder. Lucy watched them walk out the door before she picked up her book, found her place and started reading again.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Jackie realized very quickly that she had to make up for the fact that her daughter could no longer remember anything past 2005, especially since she was talking about wanting to call Henrick's to explain why she didn't come in to work today. Jackie told her to wait until she had eaten so she could think up something to say to her. She puzzled over it while she fixed her daughter a burger and chips and then she had an idea.

"Rose, I have something to tell you," Jackie said while she fried her burger.

Rose was sitting at the table sipping a glass of milk while she waited for her food. She lowered the glass.

"Yeah?" she said.

"I have some bad news. You're out of a job," Jackie said, turning to her.

"What? Why?" Rose said in disbelief. "I mean I know I didn't ring them when I overslept but isn't that a bit extreme?"

"It's not you, Henrick's was bombed this morning. Some maniac blew it up," Jackie said.

Rose stared at her.

"Why?" she finally said.

Jackie hesitated, trying to think up an excuse for that other than the Doctor did it.

"Terrorists, I think," she finally said.

"Was anyone hurt?" Rose said.

"No, it happened before Henrick's opened for the day," Jackie said.

"They blew up a building that only had two night watchmen in it," Rose said.

"Well, I don't know, Rose. I suppose they thought it was open at the time," Jackie said, wishing her daughter would just accept her explanation. "Just be thankful you weren't there when it happened."

Jackie hoped Rose would buy her excuse but she knew all Rose would have to do is go back to the site and look at the half built store to know she'd been lying. The construction wasn't complete but it certainly didn't look like a bombed out crater. But what else could she do? Rose sighed and shook her head.

"I don't want to be on the dole again," she said as she raised her glass to her lips.

"You won't be for long," Jackie said, happy her daughter seemed to be buying her excuse. "My mate, Florence, she needs people. You could work for her."

"Data entry?" Rose said, lowering the glass.

"Yes. She needs people and she owes me a favor. I'll ask her if she can use you."

"But I don't know how to do all that," Rose said.

"Well, you can learn. You're a bright spark," Jackie said, relieved that Rose's mind was off Henrick's.

"S'pose," Rose muttered, raising the glass and finally taking a sip.

"It's either that or the job center," Jackie said.

Rose made a face.

"Um, no…I'd rather talk to Florence," she said.

"Then I'll ring her. But in the meantime, you need to eat so just relax and let me feed you," Jackie said.

She turned and went back to frying her hamburger while Rose sipped her milk and considered going over to Henrick's and seeing how severe the damage was.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Hello?" Jack said while he and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and into the Hub. "Guys? I'm back!"

They waited but there was no one in sight and no one answered him.

"Seems they're all out," the Doctor said, looking around.

"Damn, I wanted them to meet you. I've mentioned you before. Still, I'm glad the place is here," he said. "I'm glad you're taking Lucy with you. I was worried about you. You need people with you, Doctor. You need a friend right now."

The Doctor smiled sadly and leaned against the front of the TARDIS.

"About a year ago, I met this woman called Donna," he said, looking at the ground. "I took Rose to an ABBA concert and she was pulled in my ship while I was in the vortex. I had to help her and ended up defeating this creature called the Racnoss. I ended up committing genocide by destroying her and her children. I went too far but…the Racnoss killed thousands of my people and they were hunted to near extinction. She was too dangerous to live so I made the decision to kill the species off. But I scared Donna and when I asked if she wanted to travel with me and Rose, she declined and told me she was glad I had Rose with me because I needed someone to stop me."

"Smart woman," Jack said, nodding. "I agree. You may think you're in control of yourself but I saw a few times when you lost it when I traveled with you and I came to the same conclusion. When I asked you to consider Lucy, I wasn't meaning that you should replace Rose but I figured some traveling with a friend might ease the pain."

"Travel with Lucy while I try to find a cure for Rose?" the Doctor said.

"Yes. And I told you, I'll do the same with my team," Jack said.

The Doctor smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you for being there for me," he said to Jack.

"Hey, what are friends for? Just don't be a stranger," Jack said. "And don't freak out the next time I come running to say hello."

The Doctor chuckled.

"Deal," he said. "So…shall we go get Saxon?"

"Yeah," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder before the two of them went back inside the TARDIS.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

After lunch, Jackie phoned Florence and asked if she could speak to Rose and see if she could hire her. Rose dressed in a pink sweater and black skirt with black heels. She put on some makeup and arranged her hair back into a tight bun. She left with every intention of seeing Florence but she chose to take the bus that went past Henrick's to see the damage for herself.

She was shocked when she got off the bus at Henrick's and noticed it was under construction and nearing completion. There was a chain length fence around it and a banner affixed to it that assured passerby that Henrick's was under construction and would be ready by early 2008. Rose was taken aback by that.

"Three years?" she muttered while she stared at the building. "But it's nearly finished."

She stared at the building in confusion. Then suddenly she had an image of the explosion in her mind's eye but she was standing across the street watching it happen. She was even more confused by that. Was she imagining what the explosion looked like? But in her mind's eye, it was happening at night and her mother told her it happened this morning. But…the building wasn't blown to bits. Something had happened but it was under construction and nearly finished. And if was under construction, why did she remember working there yesterday. Rose shook her head.

"This is wrong, there's something wrong here," she said.

She looked over when she noticed someone depositing a newspaper into a nearby rubbish bin. She walked over to the bin and pulled out the newspaper. Her eyes boggled when she looked at the date.

"2007? That can't be right," she muttered to herself. "Am I dreaming?"

She kept the newspaper with her, intending to show her mother, while she walked to the bus stop so she could catch the next bus.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Doctor stood by his monitor, tapping his fingers on the rim while he thought. He'd been trying to think of a destination for him and Lucy but his mind kept wandering back to Rose. He sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling.

"Old girl, you know how much Rose means to me. Please help me find a solution to her memory loss. I want her at my side again," he said. "I'll do anything to get her back. Please help me."

The TARDIS grunted an affirmative and stroked his mind affectionately.

"In the meantime, find something for me and Lucy to do," he said to her. "Nothing monumental like the Daleks but somewhere where someone's in need of our help."

The TARDIS didn't reply and the Doctor could sense she was thinking. He was so glad she was here. He was the one constant in his life and he didn't know what he'd do without her. He knew she was analyzing the timelines, finding somewhere where he was needed. Even if Lucy wasn't up to it yet, he wanted something to do. Something to occupy his mind so it wasn't constantly drifting to Rose. Then the TARDIS suddenly came to life and he sensed her shifting and turning around inside the vortex on her way to a destination. He smiled and patted the rim fondly before going to see Lucy.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Doctor stepped outside and looked around. Lucy still wasn't feeling up to joining him so he told her to rest while he went and explored for awhile. He looked at the monitor when he got back to the console room and noticed the TARDIS had taken him to London about three months from when he last left Rose. She had some information for him, something about Adipose Industries and their new diet pill. He read his monitor, getting the gist of the problem. The diet pill proved effective but there were some deaths attributed it, extremely suspicious deaths. He nodded. Not too strenuous, nothing along the lines of a Dalek invasion but diverting enough to get his mind off Rose for the moment. He asked the TARDIS to look after Lucy before he grabbed his trenchcoat off the support column near the door and headed out.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

(Meanwhile…)

Jackie was sitting on the sofa, reading her magazine. She looked up when the door opened and Rose came inside, the newspaper tucked under her arm.

"How'd it go?" Jackie said to her while Rose walked over to her.

"Florence wants to hire me," Rose said.

"Great!" Jackie said. "I'm happy for you, sweetie."

"Mum, why did you lie to me?"

Jackie felt a knot in the pit of her stomach but she tried to appear calm.

"Lie to you about what?" she said.

"About this!" Rose said, unfolding the newspaper and showing it to her.

Jackie groaned when Rose pointed to the date on the front of it.

"I went by Henrick's to see the damage and it's under construction," Rose said. "In fact, it's nearly finished. Why did you lie to me?"

Jackie's mind raced while Rose glared at her and silently waited for her explanation. She suddenly blurted out the first good thing that came to mind.

"You were in a coma, love," she said to her.

Rose was taken aback.

"Henrick's blew up two years ago," Jackie said quickly before Rose could say anything. "You were leaving at the time and some debris hit you in the head and you were in a coma until recently."

"I woke up in my bed," Rose said, pointing back to her bedroom. "Why wasn't I in hospital then?"

"You were. But I asked the doctors to let me bring you home and tend to you here. I wanted you to feel you had some normalcy in your life," she said weakly.

"Then why didn't you say? Why did you make me believe it was still 2005 and Henrick's had just been bombed?" Rose said.

"Because I wanted to ease you back into normalcy, love," Jackie said. "I figured if you learned the truth all at once, it'd be overwhelming."

"Did the explosion happen at night?" Rose said, giving her a wary look.

Jackie nodded.

"I had this mental image of the building blowing up while I was over the road watching it."

"Yes, you'd just left and the building blew up and you turned to look at it and you got struck by debris," Jackie said, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Rose considered that. She did have that weird mental image. Maybe she had a flashback of the building blowing up while she stared at it. Was her mother telling her the truth then? It seemed odd to her that she'd been at home instead of in the hospital if she'd been in a coma.

"You're not lying, are you?" she said warily.

"No, I'm not," Jackie said with as much conviction as she could muster. "That's what really happened."

"So, it's 2007 now? I lost two years?" Rose said.

"Yes. It was touch and go for awhile but you recovered and when you were past the danger point, I took you home," Jackie said.

"Um…okay," Rose said, not entirely convinced but not sure why else her workplace would be under construction.

She decided to say nothing more about it and investigate on her own privately. Meanwhile, she pretended to accept her mother's explanation but she could see relief on Jackie's face when she told her she thought she was telling the truth and it set off more red flags. Whatever happened to her while she was in this so-called coma, she was going to get to the bottom of what happened and find out the truth.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"You know, I'm getting really tired of chasing these bloody Weevils all over Cardiff," Owen said as he entered the Hub through the front door. "Why don't they just stay put?"

"Maybe they're attracted to you," Tosh said, following him inside with Ianto and Gwen.

Owen gave her a dirty look as he headed towards the lounge area. When he entered the room, he froze when he saw Jack sitting on the sofa, a huge grin on his face.

"Well, look who finally decided to show his face again," Owen said while the others came inside and stopped. "What's wrong, get bored in your travels and decide to come back to your old gang again?"

Jack's grin grew wider. He got up and walked over to Owen. Owen's eyes boggled when Jack embraced him tightly.

"I missed you so much, all of you," he said as he hugged him.

Owen wasn't expecting that reaction so he was caught off guard.

"Um…yeah," Owen said, patting his back.

Jack hugged the others tightly before stepping back.

"You guys don't know how much I've missed you," Jack said.

"You were only gone for a few days," Gwen said.

"Seems more like a year," Jack said cryptically. "But…in that time, I managed to find a new teammate. A very dear friend asked us to look after him and train him to be part of the group. So come with me now and meet Harry Saxon."

"Harry Saxon, the prime minister?" Ianto said while Jack was turning around.

"Yes. Come on, I'll fill you in on what happened while I was gone," Jack said, beckoning to them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

While the Doctor was away, Lucy felt well enough to get up and explore a bit. The TARDIS guided her to the kitchen and after looking around; Lucy decided she did feel a bit hungry. She looked around in the refrigerator and found ingredients for a turkey sandwich and some milk. After fixing it, she took it to the kitchen table, sat down and ate while she thought about the odd turn her life had took. She had gone from being the Doctor's enemy to being his companion. It amazed her that he put that much level of trust in her after all she'd done to him. She knew that he had offered her an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she was determined not to undermine that trust.

While she ate, the Doctor came into the room and smiled at her.

"You're feeling better, I see," he said.

"Yeah, I got my appetite back," Lucy said.

"Good. Because I have a surprise for you. I have accepted someone else and you and I are going to have another friend traveling with us. Her name is Donna. We met before but this time she was insistent I take her along. I told her about you and she said that was fine, she didn't mind having someone else with me. So sit here and I'll bring her in and we'll chat over a nice dinner."

The Doctor left and returned ten minutes later with a red haired lady behind him.

"Lucy Saxon, Donna Noble," the Doctor said.

"Could I ask a favor?" Lucy said to the Doctor.

"Sure," the Doctor said.

"My maiden name was Prentice; could you use that instead of Saxon? I want to forget I ever married that man," she said.

"Very well. Let's start again then. Lucy Prentice, Donna Noble," the Doctor said.

He asked the TARDIS to make something for them to eat while they sat down at the table. The TARDIS served them roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, brussel sprouts and tea. The dinner appeared ready made in the middle of the table and the Doctor and Donna helped themselves. Lucy had a tiny helping since she was nearly full and they chatted while they ate.

"I grew up in a very restrictive home," Lucy said to them while they ate. "My father kept me under his thumb. He's a barrister. My mum died when I was three and my father brought me up. He's very arrogant and a perfectionist so I was never good enough for him. I tried to be the ideal daughter but I kept falling short, at least in his eyes. When Harry came into my life, I decided to defy him for the first time in my life and date him. He styled himself as a politician so my father didn't really object but when Harry started taking control of my life, that's when he began to resent him."

"So you went from one master to another then," the Doctor said.

Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose I did. But I was used to being dominated like that so I thought it was normal for Harry to boss me around."

She took a bite of roast beef while she thought.

"Looking back on it now, he lured me in by being charming but at the same time he used my resentment of my father to…"

"Convince you that you should seek revenge?" the Doctor finished when she trailed off.

"Yeah. He told me I was too good for the Earth after finally revealing to me what he was. He told me he could show me the universe and I was suppose I was so happy at hearing some flattering and praise that I brought into it and slowly he changed my mind until I decided that the Earth was better off under his control. That's when he stood for Prime Minister and made me his wife. I don't know what came over me, honestly. I'm not an evil person," she pleaded to the Doctor.

"No, you're not and to answer your question, the Master came over you," the Doctor said. "Believe me, you're not the first to fall under his spell. You could be a perfect saint and he could still find a way to compel you to do evil things. He's dangerous and that's why I'm glad he's gone."

"But that's just it," Lucy said. "He's still alive. You should have kept him here or killed him or something like that. You need to go back to the Valiant, Doctor."

"Why?" the Doctor said. "What's wrong?"

"Most of the staff on the Valiant were under Harry's control but there were a handful of these nutjobs who thought Harry was some sort of God. They weren't put under his control because they didn't need to be. Harry groomed them to be his enforcers and they kept the other staff in line and reported anyone who broke free of his control. They worshipped him and Harry used them to ensure that if something happened to him, they would find him and rescue him and restore him to his former self if need be. He told me about being Yana and he didn't want that happening again. He was terrified of you, Doctor. He thought you might take his memory away and he took steps to make sure this inner circle could counteract that. You left them on the Valiant because you assumed everyone was just a mindless drone but now they'll stop at nothing to find Harry and bring back his memories, including killing Jack and his friends."

"Do you feel well enough to accompany me on the Valiant now?" the Doctor said.

"Yes," Lucy said.

"Good because you'll have to help me find these people," the Doctor said.

The Doctor got up from the table and Lucy and Donna followed him while he hurried to the console room.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The TARDIS landed and powered down while the Doctor, Lucy and Donna stood in the console room.

"I had to land after we left here so we wouldn't run into our past selves," the Doctor said to Lucy. "So unfortunately, time has passed since time reverse. I just hope that this cult is still on board. But before we go out, I need a mental image of what the cult members look like so I'll be able to identify them. So can you bring up a mental image in your mind of what these people look like?"

Lucy nodded. The Doctor put his fingers against her temples and told her he was entering her mind to look at the image and imprint it in his own. He found the image and studied it for a moment before making an imprint of it in his own mind. He left Lucy's mind and told Donna he was transferring the image into her mind so she would also know what they looked like. He put his fingers on her temples and transferred a copy of the image to her mind. He asked Donna if she could see the image and she nodded.

"Okay, let's go hunting then," he said to them.

They walked outside and the Doctor looked around as he shut the door. They were inside the conference room which was now deserted. Papers were scattered all over the floor and furniture was overturned.

"Wow, I remember hearing about this place on the telly," Donna said, looking around. "It's weird being inside it."

"It's not that great, trust me," the Doctor said to her. "Lucy, these papers on the floor, are any of them about the cult?"

"No," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Okay, let's move out then," the Doctor said.

They made a search of the Valiant but all they found were frightened and confused humans who had nothing to do with the Master's inner circle. They tried to search as much as they could but the Valiant was vast and the Doctor had a feeling the cult members probably left almost immediately. After an hour of searching, the Doctor stopped his friends.

"You said the Master styled himself as a god. Was there any god trappings like religious texts then?" he asked Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy said. "Well…I mean, there were books on how to resurrect him but he called them the Secret Books of Saxon and made them believe they were religious texts."

"Do you know where they are now?" the Doctor said.

"In his office in a wall safe," Lucy said.

"Take us there," the Doctor said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Lucy led them back to the Master's private office. There were also papers and overturned furniture all over the place. Lucy pointed to a large painting of the Master on the far wall.

"The safe is behind there," Lucy said to the Doctor.

The Doctor snorted.

"Figures he'd hide it behind a large painting of himself. The narcissism never ends," he muttered.

He walked over to it and everyone helped him take the painting off the wall and set it on the floor. Mounted into the wall was a small steel safe.

"Do you have the combination?" the Doctor asked Lucy.

"No, Harry didn't trust me that well," Lucy said ruthfully.

"No worries, I have a skeleton key then," the Doctor said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his screwdriver.

He put his ear against the door of the safe and used the screwdriver on it while he turned the dial. After a minute of fiddling with it, he heard it unlock and he jerked his head back and opened it. He cursed when the only thing inside was a piece of paper. He took it out and looked at it. It was a letter addressed to him and he read it aloud.

Doctor,

By the time you read this, we'll be long gone. We're hoping you never find it but you apparently have made the Saxon bitch your ally and I'm sure she'll tell you about us sooner or later. Know this then, false god. The one true god is the Master and he will reign supreme. You are nothing compared to him and we will stop at nothing to find him again. The Master will reign over the Earth once more and you will kneel to him or die.

The Master Race.

"The Master Race? How cute," Donna said dryly. "And if he's the one true god, what are you then? The devil?"

"No, he is if anyone's the devil," the Doctor said. "We need to go to Torchwood and warn that some nutters are heading his way. Come on."

The Doctor crumpled the note up and threw it on the floor. He and his companions hurried back to the TARDIS. Once inside, the Doctor set a course for Cardiff and the Hub. When they landed, the Doctor stepped outside into the lounge and called for Jack. He looked around and listened while Lucy and Donna came out behind him. He called again but there was only silence.

"Must be out on assignment somewhere," the Doctor said, closing the TARDIS door. "I suppose we could wait awhile and see if they return. In the meantime, let's see if the Master is here somewhere."

They made a search of the building. At first the Doctor walked quickly through the building but curiosity got the better of him and they slowed down and looked around while they searched.

"Very high tech for a group of humans," the Doctor said when they entered the lab. "I'm impressed."

He looked through some of the drawers and examined the contents while Donna and Lucy looked around. They finally reached the cell block and both Donna and Lucy recoiled when they saw Alice snarling at them.

"What the hell is that?" Donna said, pointing to her.

"It's called a Weevil," the Doctor said. "Nasty creatures, live in sewers but they normally shun humans."

The Doctor waved to Alice when she went to the back of her cell and let out a mournful cry. The Doctor imitated it while Donna and Lucy watched in amazement and Alice hesitated a moment before coming to the front of the cage. The Doctor and Alice communicated by growling and moaning and the Doctor looked at his friends.

"She says that they call her Alice and she's been here for awhile," he said to them. "She's being cared for. I suppose she's a sort of pet now."

"Some pet," Lucy said, making a face.

They left and ended their search in the vast back room where Myfanwy was flying around.

"That's a bleeding pterodactyl!" Donna said, pointing up at her.

"I see that," the Doctor said, nodding.

"Are you gonna talk to that?" Lucy said.

"No, I think we'll let it fly in peace," the Doctor said.

They walked back to the lounge area and the Doctor walked over to a computer while Lucy and Donna rested on the sofa and chatted softly. The Doctor quickly overrode the password for the computer and lazily looked through case files while his friends relaxed.

"My, my, Jack and his team have been very busy here," he said as he sped read the case files. "I was proud of him before but he's done a bang up job protecting the Earth."

He stopped reading and closed out of the computer. He sighed and walked over to the sofa and his friends made room for him. He flopped down onto it and relaxed while he waited for Jack and his team to return.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

It was a few hours before Jack and his team finally came back and by then the Doctor had found the coffee maker and he and his companions had down three cups of coffee each. Jack stopped short when he came through the cog door and saw the TARDIS in the middle of the room. The Doctor waved cheerfully from the sofa when Jack caught sight of him.

"Back so soon?" Jack said, walking towards him. "I said don't be a stranger but I'd prefer you came when I was here instead of making yourself at home."

"I have something to tell you," the Doctor said. "Something urgent. Where's Saxon at?"

"With us," Jack said. "He woke up and we took him to a Chinese restaurant while we tried to convince him that he'd been taken hostage and giving a false memory by someone who was trying to use him and the whole prime minster thing was a part of that. It was tricky but I think he's beginning to be convinced he was a member of the team. Why?"

"You're in danger," the Doctor said. "Lucy, tell him."

"Who's this first of all?" Jack said, pointing to Donna.

"Oh yes, Donna Noble, Jack Harkness. She's another friend who decided to travel with me," the Doctor said.

"Delighted, Miss Noble," Jack said, kissing her hand.

Donna giggled and blushed. The Doctor rolled his eyes and urged Jack to listen to Lucy. Jack straightened up and listened while Lucy described the cult of Saxon to him. He groaned.

"Great," Jack said when Lucy finished. "Bad enough we have to make Saxon think he wasn't prime minster without some loony cult thinking he's a god. Do they have a way to track him?"

"I don't know," Lucy said, shaking her head. "But I wouldn't put it past them. Harry probably thought of a way for them to locate him if he went missing."

Jack cursed and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked over when the cog door opened and Ianto entered the room. He froze when he saw the TARDIS and looked over at the Doctor and his companions.

"Ianto, come here," Jack said, beckoning to him.

He introduced Ianto to everyone and Ianto nodded and smiled. He then told Ianto what Lucy told him and Ianto blanched.

"So do we put him in cryostasis?" he said when Jack finished.

"I don't know," Jack said, shaking his head. "I have a feeling these nuts will come, whether or not he's in cryosleep."

He asked Ianto to tell everyone except Saxon what was happening and then paced back and forth in thought while the Doctor and his companions watched.

"What do you want to do?" he said, finally stopping in front of the Doctor. "Do you want to take him somewhere in the TARDIS?"

The Doctor folded his hands in his lap while he thought that over.

"We can't let this lot stay free because they'll be looking for Saxon as long as they're alive," the Doctor said. "I would suggest laying a trap for them with Saxon as bait."

"Risky but…I think we could manage it," Jack said, folding his arms over his chest. "I'd rather catch them and be done with it. Besides, the last thing the world needs is a bunch of Master worshipping lunatics on the loose. Do you have any ideas then?"

"Can we do it privately? Can someone look after Saxon while we brainstorm?" the Doctor said.

"The most private place I can think of is inside your TARDIS," Jack said, nodding his head towards it. "I can ask Tosh to keep him company and relay our plan to her later."

"Good. I think Lucy should get back inside anyway in case seeing her jogs Saxon's memory," the Doctor said.

"Be right back," Jack said before he hurried out of the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Jackie smiled when Rose came into the flat and shut the door behind her.

"How was your first day of work, love?" she said as she got up from her chair.

"S'alright," Rose said, dropping her keys on the table and reaching up to undo the bun in her hair.

Jackie stopped and admired her. She was dressed professionally in a navy blue skirt, white blouse and navy blue jacket. She thought her daughter looked grown up and beautiful but she could see the sad expression on her face and it hurt Jackie's heart.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Jackie said, coming towards her.

Rose sighed.

"I wish I could find a job I actually enjoyed," Rose said as Jackie hugged her. "Something exciting, ya know? Something fulfilling."

"Well, you have to start somewhere, love. Everyone does," Jackie said, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"I know," Rose sighed. "I just wish there was something out there that was more exciting than data entry."

Jackie's heart lurched again. Rose was definitely back to the way she was before. She couldn't count the number of times her daughter had said something like that when she worked at Henrick's. Jackie swallowed hard. Her daughter belonged with the Doctor, not working a nine to five job that would take her nowhere. She realized now that the Doctor really had been beneficial for her daughter.

"You'll be alright," Jackie said tenderly. "You just have to take it one day at a time and things'll get better, you'll see. Now why don't you have a shower and relax and I'll fix you something to eat."

"Mum…I went back to Henrick's after work," Rose blurted out.

Jackie froze for a moment but tried to keep a smile on her face.

"Yeah?" she said, hoping her daughter wasn't about to ask some difficult questions she really couldn't answer.

"Mum, did someone pull me out of the building before it blew up?" Rose said.

"How'd ya mean, love?" Jackie said evasively.

"I was looking at the building and I got this mental image of a man grabbing my hand and telling me to run. I think I was in the basement. Did someone save me that night?"

"I think so, sweetie. I seem to recall the doctor telling me that…"

"And that's another thing," Rose said. "I thought the man was a doctor or something because that also popped in my head."

Jackie's heart stopped beating. She thought the Doctor had removed Rose's memories but it seemed like he forgot a few fleeting images.

"What did this man look like?" Jackie said, hoping she wasn't risking any mind melt by doing this.

Rose paused for a moment in deep thought.

"Older man, really short hair like military style, had on a black leather jacket," Rose finally said.

Jackie waited for the shock of recognition when her daughter realized who it was but Rose only stared at her mother, waiting for Jackie to say something to that.

"Maybe it was a customer or a police officer," Jackie said with a shrug.

"Dunno but he seemed familiar somehow," Rose murmured.

Jackie put her hands on Rose's shoulders.

"Look, why don't you relax and have a shower and change into some casual clothes and I'll fix you dinner," she said, trying to get Rose's mind off the Doctor.

"Yeah, I think I will," Rose muttered.

Jackie kissed Rose's cheek and watched while she headed towards her bedroom.

"Doctor, I don't know what you did to make her forget but apparently you didn't make her forget it all," Jackie muttered to herself while she watched Rose go into her bedroom.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

(Meanwhile, in another part of London…)

The cult members were sitting together in the lounge of one of the member's flats. They had decided to meet there to strategize about their next move after leaving the Valiant. The member who owned the flat was known only as Miss Trefusis, a woman who had known the Master longer than any of them. She had been entrusted with the Master's sacred ring and she was the first to know his true identity and his plans for Earth. She was the leader of the handful of believers and she was the one who was conducting the meeting. She stood by a window while the others sat in a semicircle of chairs while listening to her speak. They had been brainstorming on how to get the Master back. They knew the Doctor had taken him away. Leo, a young Caucasian man had been one of the guards in the TARDIS when RoseTARDIS turned him human. It was he who reported to the others what happened. The problem was he had run out with the other guards and had no idea what the Doctor did with the Master. They had been suggesting that they follow the Master's artron energy but Miss Trefusis, after listening to them speak, finally spoke up.

"The problem is," she said as the other members fell silent, "the Doctor may still be with the Master and he'll fight to keep him from us. And if the Master is now human, he is more vulnerable."

"So what do you suggest?" Angus, a young Scotsman asked.

"We must remove the Doctor somehow," Trefusis said. "Eliminate him and we'll have all the time we need to restore our Lord to his previous self. Are there any ideas on how to do that?"

The room fell silent while they thought. Finally a young Asian woman called Annie raised her hand. Trefusis nodded to her.

"Our Lord said that the Doctor's greatest weakness was his human allies," she said. "Perhaps we could locate one of them and hold them hostage? Perhaps even find Rose Tyler."

"What if Rose Tyler is with the Doctor?" Leo said.

"We can still check. Maybe she stayed behind," Annie said with a shrug. "If not, we could find someone else. All companions supposedly carry the same artron radiation with them. We could do a scan of London and find traces of it. Janet could do it, she's our techie," she said, nodding to a twenty four year old African American woman across from her.

"Could you do it?" Trefusis asked her.

"I could try," Janet said. "I could check for abnormal pockets of radiation within the city limits and isolate them."

"Do it," Trefusis said. "If we could bring the Doctor to his knees, so much the better. The false god must be eliminated anyway."

Janet got up from her chair and went into the other room.

"As for our Lord, I think he'll be safe for now," Trefusis said to the others. "If the Doctor wanted him dead, he would have killed him. Our Lord is just as valuable to him as Tyler is, the fool is an emotional weakling and we will use that to our advantage."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile in the TARDIS, everyone except Tosh and Saxon was holding a similar meeting in the TARDIS lounge.

"Okay, so how do you propose using Saxon as bait?" Jack asked the Doctor while he and the others sat in chairs.

The Doctor stood at the front while the chairs were arranged in a semicircle around him. He was pacing back and forth while he thought.

"Is there any way you can put him on telly?" the Doctor said, stopping and looking at Jack. "Make him visible?"

"Um…we could create mayhem and then apologize afterwards to the UK," Jack said.

"That won't be a problem for us," Owen said while Gwen and Ianto snickered.

"Maybe we could make up a fake monster scare and pretend to warn people about it," Jack said.

"I didn't mean for you to cause a panic in the process, Jack," the Doctor said.

"The problem is, people will remember him as the prime minster," Owen said. "We put him on the telly and sooner or later he'll work out that the load of codswallop about him being prime minister really wasn't."

"How about disguise his appearance?" Ianto said.

"Give him a facelift?" Jack said. "Give him a tummy tuck and a boob job? Make him into Harriet Saxon?"

"How about dying his hair?" Lucy said. "It's a start."

"Yes, but we'd have to explain to Saxon why he suddenly needs a new hair color," Gwen said.

"We could tell him it'd make him look cuter," Jack quipped. "Blondes do have more fun, you know."

"I doubt that," Donna said, rolling her eyes.

"Gingers too," Jack said, winking at her.

"Doctor," Lucy said.

"Yes?" the Doctor said, stopping and looking at her.

"When you took Rose's memory away, is there a way you can control that?"

"How'd ya mean?" the Doctor said.

"Well, I was suggesting putting enough memories back in Harry to make him remember who he was but only temporary," Lucy said. "Maybe put something in his head to make him think he has to find his followers."

"Set him loose and we track him secretly while he goes to them," Jack said to the Doctor.

"But put it in a time delay so he won't stay the Master permanently," Gwen added.

The Doctor thought that over.

"It might work," he finally said. "I can put back just enough self awareness that he'll know who he is and add an urgency to find his cult members but you'd have to keep him in your sights, we can't lose him because I don't know if the memories would erase on their own. I've never done that before. I'm guessing I'd probably have to get him and take the memories out again. But I could put a few hypnotic suggestions in his mind to prevent him from killing anyone or doing anything outrageous while he was his old self. Just have him remember who he is and that he must meet up with his inner circle as soon as possible."

"I like this idea," Jack said. "We could track him by that artron energy signature of his. He can't get rid of that so even if he slips away, we could still find him."

The Doctor nodded.

"I'll do that then," he said. "We'll put him back to sleep, I'll put the memories back and we'll put him somewhere nearby. When he wakes up, he'll have an urge to go find his inner circle and when he goes to them, we'll have them all."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Owen was sent to find Saxon. He had a tranquilizer pill dissolved in a cup of tea and was going to offer it to their new teammate. Meanwhile, everyone except Lucy, Donna and the Doctor came out of the TARDIS. Jack promised to knock on the door when Saxon was sedated.

"Man, this has been one hell of a day," Jack said to Gwen as he flopped down on the sofa.

"So that's him," Gwen said. "That's the Doctor you kept searching for."

"The one and only, what'd ya think?" Jack asked.

"He's nice. A bit younger than I thought he'd be but I like him."

"You have no idea," Jack said. "He's magnificent. Worth the trouble of finding him."

"And now he's traveling around with the Prime Minister's wife," Gwen said with a grin.

"Well, I wouldn't count the Master as a real Prime Minister and I have a feeling she feels the same now," Jack said. "She was sadistic but not as sadistic as him. Besides, she wised up."

"You hope," Gwen said.

"I think she's reformed," Jack said. "And if she hasn't, the Doctor will take care of her."

"And the other one?" Gwen said.

"Don't know who she is but she seems nice if a bit opinionated," Jack said with a shrug.

"Well, you found a kindred spirit then," Gwen teased.

Jack playfully punched her shoulder and chuckled.

It was an hour later before Owen finally came into the room and told everyone that Saxon was now asleep. Jack leapt up, walked to the TARDIS and knocked on the door. Donna opened it and stared at him but didn't let him in.

"What's the password?" she finally said to the perplexed man.

"What?" Jack said.

"What's the password?" Donna said.

"Um…ginger?" Jack said.

"Nope."

"TARDIS."

"Nope."

"Let me the hell inside before I break your face off the rest of your skull?" Jack said.

"Nope."

By now he could hear the Doctor giggling behind her. Donna quickly stepped back when he pushed on her and muscled his way into the console room. The Doctor was sitting on the jump seat with Lucy.

"Bad form. You're not a member of my entourage anymore which means you must have a password to get in," the Doctor said.

"Whatever. I'm just telling you that your buddy is off in dreamland now so if you want to do your work, better hop to it."

"He's quite bossy, you notice that?" the Doctor said to Lucy. "This was a problem when he traveled with me full time. Doctor, do this, Doctor, do that, nag, nag, nag, whinge, whinge, whinge. I wish I'd thought of chaining him to the wall for a year. Could have calmed him down."

"Will you shut up and go see to your buddy," Jack said.

The Doctor let out an exaggerated sigh and got up from the seat.

"Lucy, Donna, stay here and amuse Jack while I see to my buddy but be careful because Jack has a very broad definition of amusement," he said.

Jack flipped him off as he went past him to the front door.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After an hour, Janet came back into the lounge. Everyone looked at her while she sat down.

"I used the special tracking software our Lord left for us and found two traces of artron energy in the London area," she said to them. "One of them is located in Ealing and the other is in Peckham."

"Do we investigate both?" Leo said to Trefusis.

"Yes. There are eight of us, we'll divide up into four groups. One group will go to Ealing and the other to Peckham," she said. "Let's hurry before the Time Lord finds us."

Trefusis divided up the cult members into groups of four. She headed up the group going to Peckham while Leo headed up the group going to Ealing. They promised to call each other if they found Rose Tyler before all of them headed out of the flat.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Rose sat with her mother while they ate supper. Jackie was making small talk, gossiping and talking about her day but Rose's mind was a million miles away. Her mind kept flashing back to unfamiliar memories, first of the man with the military haircut but now she saw memories of herself with a younger man as well. A gangly man with brown tousled hair that gave her heart palpitations whenever she thought of him. She also saw snatches of worlds that couldn't possibly be Earth and creatures that were both strange and wonderful at the same time. She also had this deep urge to find this tousled hair man even though she couldn't think why she'd want to find him, especially since she couldn't recall his name or how she knew him.

"Rose?"

Rose snapped back to reality and she looked at her mother. Jackie had a worried look on her face.

"Are you alright, love? You had an odd look on your face like you were remembering something," she said.

"I was just…thinking, mum," Rose said, shaking her head.

"About what?"

Rose glanced at her. She suspected her mother knew more than she let on. She still didn't believe the whole coma story but she also suspected if she confronted her mother and asked her to explain these images she was having, she wouldn't do it. So for the moment, she kept silent and shrugged.

"About work," she said. "Just thinking about how to get outta here."

"Outta where?" Jackie said.

"London, basically," Rose sighed.

She glanced at her mother. Her mother averted her eyes but there was a moment where Jackie stiffened and once again her suspicions about her holding back the truth were given a bit more validation. There were times when she really resented her mother and this was one of them. But she kept silent again and ate more of her burger, deciding to let her mother think what she wanted to think about her desire to leave. After she finished eating, she put her dishes in the sink and after Jackie told them she'd do the washing up, Rose decided to have a bath and go to bed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

"I hope you know what you're doing, Doc," Jack said as they carried the drugged Master to a spot some distance from the invisible lift. "You're letting the Devil loose again."

"I know but it's the only way we can find the rest of his fan club," the Doctor said while they laid him down on the ground. "Believe me; I'll be keeping a close eye on him during all this."

"I hope so," Jack said. "I don't want to undo the damage a second time."

They finished adjusting his body so he was facing away from the lift and the Doctor, Jack and his team headed back to the Hub.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Rose had a shower and laid down in her bed. She tried to go to sleep but images of the unfamiliar men kept coming to the surface of her consciousness. What frustrated her was when she tried to focus on one of the fleeting images and concentrate on it; it would slip from her mind as if it were forbidden. She tossed and turned for an hour before she finally sat up.

She went out to tell her mother she felt like going for a walk but Jackie had already gone to bed. Rose paused for a moment in hesitation before deciding to go out for a short walk, figuring she wouldn't be long and would stay near the Powell Estate. She put on her coat and quietly headed out the door.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Trefusis stopped her group. She had been using a handheld SATNAV device to track the artron energy, slowly making her way towards the Powell Estate. Now the marker was moving away from the block of flats. She studied it for a moment before telling the others what was happening. She looked at the map on the device and noticed that they weren't far away from here.

"This way, I think we can ambush whoever this is," Trefusis said to the other cult members before they walked on.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose sighed as she stuck her hands in the pocket of her jacket. She hated not knowing what's going on. She hated that she knew her mother was hiding something from her. She had a hunch she knew what the fleeting images in her mind meant but apart from putting her on the rack, she figured her mother would never talk voluntarily about them. She found a bench and sat down, watching the people passing by while she continued to mull over the images. She wondered if the men she was seeing in her mind lived in London. Perhaps she could try to find them and see if she could meet with them. Perhaps they could shed light on what was going on.

She slumped a bit while she continued to watch the people across the street. She noticed a group of them had just walked up. A woman in the front was looking at a small handheld device and then looking at her. She looked at the device again and then looked at her. Rose frowned when the woman spoke to the people behind her and then pointed right at her. Red flags went off in her mind as she rose from the bench. She decided perhaps was the best time to leave as she headed back towards the Powell Estate. She walked for several feet before chancing a look back. To her astonishment, the group was blatantly following her, their eyes on her every move. She decided to veer away from her home and hurried to a crosswalk, intending to quickly cross the street and lose them. But when she reached the corner of the pavement, the group suddenly surrounded her.

"Hello, Rose Tyler," Trefusis said to her.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Rose said, trying not to panic as the group surrounded her.

"We are disciples of the Master, Rose Tyler," Trefusis said.

She gasped when the woman seized her arm and glared at her.

"Oi, let go of me!" Rose said, trying to get her arm out of her iron grip.

"You will come with us or we will destroy you and the ones you love," Trefusis hissed at her.

"What do you want with me?" Rose said, panicking.

"You will help us get our revenge on the Doctor," Trefusis said with a smirk.

Rose tried to get away from her and gasped when she jerked her arm and got into her face.

"Don't resist or you'll live to regret it," Trefusis snarled at her.

Rose stared at her eyes and saw no mercy or compassion in them. She decided not to resist and go with them, figuring they would carry out their threat if she did. She decided to keep calm and think up a plan for getting away from them.

"I won't resist, just don't hurt me," Rose said.

"Good girl. Now walk with us and don't you dare alert someone that you're being kidnapped because I have a tiny laser blaster in my pocket and I'll blast a hole in your head before anyone can help you. Now move!"

Rose glared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh, turning with the group and following them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Doctor and Jack stood together on the invisible lift, watching the Master and making sure no one bothered him. Jack had a handheld device in his hand that was about the size of a Kindle. It was a SATNAV device that would track the Master's movements through his artron energy signature. The Doctor nudged him when he saw the Master beginning to wake up. The Master slowly got to his feet and so far he hadn't seen them, which was a good thing since the Doctor knew he could see past the perception filter on the lift. He was risking discovery but he had to watch and see what he did in his first moments of awareness. He had taken out his memories of being a part of Torchwood so he didn't expect him to return to the Hub and seek out Jack.

The Master looked left and right for a moment in obvious confusion before he reached into his pocket and took out his mobile. He spoke for a few minutes and they could see him nodding while he spoke. He then finished the call and put his mobile back in his pocket before heading away from the lift in a hurry. To the Doctor's relief, he never looked back and he was too busy now to look, making a beeline for his destination. The Doctor and Jack exchanged a look.

"Follow him?" Jack said to the Doctor.

"Follow him," the Doctor said.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Trefusis finished her call to the Master.

"You're lucky, Rose Tyler," she said to Rose as she walked beside her. "The Master is very interested in you."

"Who is the Master? I don't even know what you're talking about," Rose said.

"Oh please, don't pretend to be ignorant, little girl," Trefusis said. "We know what you did and we know you're in allegiance with the Doctor."

"Who?" Rose said.

Trefusis rolled her eyes. She looked at her mobile, intending to ring the other group and tell them to call off their search for Rose. Then she thought better of it and decided that two hostages would be even better than one. She rang Janet.

"We have Rose Tyler but find out who the other artron energy signature belongs to and take them if you can. If we have more than one hostage, the Doctor might bend to our will more easily. I have contacted the Master. He is in Cardiff and will rendezvous with us here in London. Hurry and finish your task and meet us back in the room before he gets there. We're on our way now."

She finished the call and smirked at Rose while she put the mobile back in her pocket.

"Once we're back at base, you're going to tell us everything you know, Rose Tyler," she said.

"I don't know anything; I don't even know who you are or who the Master or the Doctor is," Rose protested.

"You will talk or be tortured," Trefusis said.

"I don't know anything," Rose said, her heart beginning to race.

"Perhaps she's telling the truth," a male cult member said to Trefusis.

"She was close to the Doctor, his closest companion. She knows him and the Master and she will talk or she will suffer," Trefusis.

Rose swallowed hard, fear gripping her mind. She had no idea who these people were or what they wanted but they were insane and she didn't think she could reason with them and that made them even more dangerous. She looked around, trying to find a way to escape but the group surrounded her on all sides, hemming her in. Trefusis noticed what she was doing and Rose gasped when Trefusis seized her arm.

"I said…don't try it," she snarled at Rose, tightening her grip on her arm.

"Please let me go," Rose said.

"Not a chance, now keep moving!" Trefusis said in her ear.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Jack were keeping their distance from the Master as he headed to the Cardiff Central Railway Station. The Doctor and Jack made sure he had money in his pocket because they figured he would try to find a way out of Cardiff. While they were walking, the Doctor suddenly had an idea. They had been following at a distance, but the Doctor seized Jack's arm and stopped him.

"I have an idea, I'm going to let myself be captured," the Doctor said to him.

"What? Why?" Jack said.

"Because I want to make sure I know where he's going and what he's up to," the Doctor said. "If I'm with him, he'll make doubly sure he contacts his little fan club if he hasn't already."

"Are you sure you want to risk it?" Jack said.

The Doctor smiled at the worried look on his face.

"I'll risk it, old friend. Just get your team and follow us with the artron tracker. The Master won't kill me, I'm too important to him. Just stay out of sight until we're away from here."

Jack nodded and ducked behind a nearby building. He stuck his head around the corner and watched while the Doctor hurried to catch up to the Master.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Master was fuming. He didn't know why he was in Cardiff or how he got there but he figured the Doctor was responsible and when he found him, he would make the Time Lord suffer dearly.

He was heading towards the railway station when he suddenly sensed someone behind him. Then he sensed someone sharing his mind and he froze.

"Hello then," the Doctor said behind him.

The Master slowly turned to face the Doctor. He was standing a few feet behind him with a smug look on his face.

"Out for a stroll through Cardiff?" the Doctor said airily. "Lovely city, one of my favorites. Have you seen the Millennium Centre yet?"

"You!" the Master growled. "You did this!"

"Yeah, I did, yeah," the Doctor said. "I was hoping you'd lead me to wherever you're going but you sensed me. It's a fair cop. Now…what are you doing and where are you going?"

The Master chuckled.

"Oh, I'm going to meet up with my faithful followers, my inner circle and wouldn't you know it, they have Rose Tyler as their captive."

The Doctor froze and the Master chuckled again.

"Oh, that wiped the smirk off your little face, didn't it?" he said, coming closer to him. "Yes, we have your faithful companion and she will be tortured if you don't surrender."

The Doctor swallowed hard. He thought this whole surrender to the Master thing was a good idea but he never figured they would never bother Rose. But he was a fool for thinking that. The Master now had the upper hand and he knew it.

"Leave her alone," the Doctor growled at him. "Leave her alone and I'll come willingly."

"No, you'll come willingly and join Rose in captivity," the Master said smugly. "And if you resist, I will ring my minions and have her killed on the spot. So think long and hard, Doctor, and make the right decision."

The Doctor was cornered. He knew if he resisted or ran, Rose would die but if Rose saw him and remembered…he took comfort though in the fact that he had programmed in a failsafe in case she did remember him, but if the Master went past that and brought her memories back to the surface. He was stuck. He had no choice but he figured if he surrendered, he could protect Rose from the Master and his cronies and keep her safe. He nodded.

"You have me, I surrender," the Doctor said.

"Ah, music to my ears," the Master said. "Now…we're going to the railway station and there will be no resistance from you or Rose dies. Understood."

"Yes," the Doctor said tersely.

"After you then," the Master said sweetly.

The Doctor got ahead of the Master. He walked off with the Master following him, hoping that Jack would be able to think of a plan and he, his team and Donna and Lucy would be able to stop the Master and save him and Rose before it was too late.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

Trefusis opened the door to their hideout and ordered two of the cult members to grab Rose's arms and bring her inside. Rose gasped when a man and a woman seized her arms and forced her into the room. They forced her into the corner of the front room and made her sit there. Trefusis brought two blasters out of the bedroom and gave them to Rose's guards.

"She moves out of that corner, kill her," she said to them.

She smirked at Rose before walking out of the room with the other cult members.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Master and the Doctor boarded a train bound for London. They sat side by side in seats near the back of one of the cars. The Master sat on the outside while the Doctor sat by the window. The Doctor tried to ignore the Master while he stared out the window but he looked at him when the Master put his hand on the Doctor's thigh.

"Are you going to ignore me the entire trip?" he cooed. "That's not like you. I remember when we took the hover transports during holidays from the Academy and we sat together just like this. We talked the entire time, didn't we?"

"Things were different back then," the Doctor said tersely as he put the Master's hand on his own leg. "We were different back then."

"Not that different," the Master said. "The only difference I can see is you fancy humans now instead of me."

"No, there are more differences than that," the Doctor said.

"Such as?"

"You're evil now," the Doctor said.

"And you're not?"

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, come off it, Doctor. You have evil tendencies, same as me. You're just as egotistical as me and you're just as destructive. You've killed your share of people, you just rationalize it as being all in the line of duty while you protect the universe and your precious humans. Speaking of…you and Rose…I know in the past you supposedly had a hands off policy when it came to the apes. Although, I always suspected that was a load of codswallop. But Rose…are you and she?"

"No, we're not," the Doctor said tersely.

He kept his face passive while the Master studied him. Finally, he chuckled and the Doctor looked at him.

"What?" he said to the Master. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because I love the way you think I'm some sort of fool that can't read you like a book," he said. "You love her, Doctor. I can tell. You and I have history together. We grew up together and we shared some of our deepest secrets so don't think I can't figure you out now."

"So? What if I do? You loved Lucy, didn't you? So aren't you consorting with apes now as well?"

"Lucy was a means to an end."

"Now you're the one that thinks I'm a stupid fool," the Doctor said as the train started moving out of the station. "I can also read you like a book, you forget."

"Okay, so I dabbled and yes, I suppose I did fall in love with the little ape," the Master said, waving his hand dismissively. "But the bitch betrayed me, unlike you. You can hold apes in your utter thrall and they would do anything to please you, even murder in your name. I don't know how you do it, especially since I'm supposed to be the master of manipulation. Rose Tyler walked the bleedin' Earth for you."

"Yes, she did," the Doctor said proudly.

"And would Rose willingly enslave herself to you? I mean, more than the usual enslavement these apes do when they give up their lives on Earth to follow and assist you. Would Rose willingly kneel at your feet and worship you?"

"No," the Doctor said.

The Master chuckled.

"Are you sure? Because a woman who would walk the Earth for you…well, she sounds like a disciple for sure."

The Doctor shifted uneasily. He stiffened when the Master put his finger on his jawbone and traced it to his chin.

"I like this body, it's well fit," he purred as he fingered the lapel of his jacket. "Do you like this body as well?"

The Doctor sighed and looked out the window. The Master chuckled again.

"One of the reasons I chose this form was for you," the Master said while the Doctor looked out the window at the passing scenery. "I wanted to be young and strong like you but I also thought you might fancy me a bit younger than Yana. I kept you alive that entire year when I could have put you to death, just like I kept you alive all these years when it would have been so easy to kill you and be done with it."

"And if you spare Rose and I give myself to you again, will that satisfy you?" the Doctor said, looking at him.

"Seriously?" the Master said.

"I want Rose alive and unharmed and I want her freed," the Doctor said. "Do that and I'm yours."

"Oo-hoo, tempting, very tempting," the Master said while the Doctor sighed in exasperation. "All I have to do is let the ape go and you're all mine? Hmmm, decisions, decisions. However…I showed the ape mercy before and let her go and she repaid my mercy by becoming a thorn in my side for a year. If I let her go free, who's to say she won't do that again."

"She won't."

"Oh? And why is that? Will you command your disciple not to do it?"

"She…she doesn't remember me any longer," the Doctor said.

"Really? Why is that then?" the Master said, intrigued.

The Doctor briefly explained what happened to her while the Master listened in an enraptured silence. When he finished, the Doctor turned his attention back to the window, trying to hide his broken hearts from his old friend.

"I'll make a deal with you," the Master finally said.

The Doctor looked at him.

"What deal?" he said.

"Help me and I will help you restore Rose to her former state."

"Help you do what?" the Doctor said.

"Help me become great again," the Master said.

"If you think I'm gonna help you destroy the Earth again…"

"Nah, that's over and done with. Bored with that, moving on," the Master said, waving his hand dismissively. "But…I want to bring back Gallifrey and become the ruler of it."

The Doctor chortled.

"You're barmier than I thought," he said, shaking his head.

"Help me and I'll help you restore Rose."

"How?" the Doctor said.

"I don't know but I'll find a way. We can find a way. You and I, working together like we were when we were young. Come on, don't you want to see Gallifrey restored?"

"Not with you as ruler," the Doctor said.

"And the High Council was better than me?" the Master said.

"Well, no, I suppose not but…why do you want to rule over Gallifrey anyway? You always wanted bigger than that."

"Everyone has to start somewhere," the Master said with a shrug. "But you and me, we can bring back our species. We won't be alone any longer. We could become gods."

"Sorry, not interested in godhood," the Doctor said.

"Oh puh-leeze, you fancy yourself a god to these apes," the Master said, gesturing at the humans sitting around them. "Why not become a god for real."

"Not interested."

"Then Rose remains as she is forever."

"I suppose so," the Doctor said.

"You are so full of it," the Master said. "You want me to help you find a cure for her…Oooo!" he suddenly said.

The Doctor gave him a dubious look.

"What now?" he said.

"We could turn her into one of us. A Time Lady could remember and not burn up, right?"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" the Doctor said.

The Master opened his mouth to speak and the Doctor snorted when he didn't speak because he couldn't think of anything.

"See?" the Doctor said.

"Yes, but you and me…we could do it…together!" the Master said.

"You're just keen on me working with you, aren't you?" the Doctor said.

"Because I'm tired of being at odds with you," the Master said. "We were mates once, in both senses of the word. Why can't we be that again?"

"In both senses of the word?" the Doctor said dryly. "What about Rose?"

"We could share?" the Master said with a shrug.

He rolled his eyes when the Doctor made a face at that.

"Oh sorry, I forgot, she's yours and yours alone. My bad," the Master said. "Fine. She's yours but…if she's a Time Lady. She can be with you past a normal human lifespan. Ah…yes, I can see it in your face, you like that idea, don't you?" he said. "And now he tries to hide his feelings again," he added with disdain when the Doctor quickly turned his face back to the window. "She can be yours for the rest of your lifespan. If you and me work together…"

"Oh, lay off that," the Doctor growled as he jerked his head around.

The Master's smile fell off his face.

"I give you a choice, Doctor. Work with me and Rose is spared and possibly restored. Defy me and you get to watch her scream in agony and die at your feet. Your choice."

"What about Lucy?" the Doctor said. "I have her."

"Oh like you'd torture her in any way," the Master said. "Dip her in oil, set her alight and make her into a candle for all I care. What's your answer concerning Rose?"

"Well if you put it that way, I have no choice, do I?" the Doctor said through clenched teeth.

"You have plenty of choices," the Master said with a shrug. "You can choose to help me, defy me, run away, sit there. But only by helping me will you help your beloved Rose. So if you care about her, you'll accept my offer. What'll it be?"

"I suppose I'll help you then," the Doctor said tersely.

"Splendid. And I will uphold my part of the bargain as long as you uphold yours," the Master said happily.

The Doctor snorted and turned his attention back to the scenery outside the window while the Master chuckled to himself.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

A few hours later, the Doctor and the Master arrived at the building that served at the headquarters for the cult. The Doctor had been quiet since their conversation on the train but when they got to the front door of the building, he turned and stopped the Master.

"Put me somewhere where she can't see me, I don't want her possibly remembering me and dying in front of me. I want to be in a separate room," he said.

"Fair enough," the Master said, shrugging. "Inside."

The Doctor turned and walked inside. The Master led him to the rooms the cult used but when he opened the door and they walked in, the Doctor froze. Not only was Rose in the corner but now Sarah Jane was sitting there as well. The Master came in behind him and frowned when he saw the new addition to their hostages. Sarah Jane called to the Doctor while Rose stared at the Doctor in shock. He was about to turn to Trefusis, who was at the door, and ask who it was when the Doctor spun around, his face enraged.

"I shoulda known you were lying to me!" he snarled at the Master. "You kidnapped Sarah as well?"

"Sarah who? I don't know her," the Master said, pointing at Sarah Jane.

He paused though when he got a second look at her.

"Wait, she does look familiar actually," he said, lowering his arm. "Who is that though?"

"Sarah Jane, traveled with me during my third and fourth lives."

"Oh!" the Master said with sudden recognition. "Sorry, she was younger then. But…why is she here?" he said to Trefusis.

"We detected two artron energy signatures and we pursued both," Trefusis said. "We found Rose first but we decided to take her as well as an additional hostage."

"Look, I had nothing to do with this," the Master said, holding up his hands when the Doctor glowered at him. "They never told me they had her so that's why I never mentioned her."

"Then let her go and let Rose go as well," the Doctor growled.

"Silence! You will not speak to our Lord in that way," Trefusis said.

"Oh, please, just get over yourself, lady. This man is not your god," the Doctor snarled at her while he pointed to the Master.

"And you will not speak to anyone," Trefusis growled back. "You are our prisoner, so get in the corner before we kill your friends."

The Doctor glowered at the Master before he walked over to the corner. He glanced at Rose and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed she didn't seem to show any signs of recognition. But she had a confused look on her face while he sat down next to Sarah Jane.

"You're the man I keep seeing in my mind," Rose said to him.

The Doctor stiffened. He was afraid of this. He didn't think he got all her memories in the rush to save her.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Sarah Jane said to him. "Rose doesn't seem to know me and she doesn't seem to know you as well. Did something happen to her?"

The Doctor looked at Rose and noticed she was waiting for his answer.

"I'll explain later," the Doctor muttered to Sarah Jane.

Annie walked up to the Master and Trefusis.

"My Lord," she said as she bowed to him. "It's nice to see you again."

"Yes, and you," the Master said, not remembering her name and not really caring.

"What do we do with them, Lord?" Trefusis said as she pointed to the captives. "Kill them?"

"No, leave them be for the moment," the Master said, holding up his hand.

"What's going on? Why do they want me? And who are you?" Rose said to the Doctor.

"He's the Doctor, love, you don't remember him?" Sarah Jane said to her.

Rose stared at the Doctor for a moment before shaking her head.

"No. I don't know his name. I don't know him but…I've seen him in dreams and these flashes of images in my mind. Who are you…to me?" she said to the Doctor.

"Friend, that's all," the Doctor said.

"I…I was working at Henricks and there was an explosion. Terrorists, my mum said. This man saved me but my mum said a piece of the building hit me and I was in a coma for two years."

The Doctor chuckled ruthfully.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Rose said to him.

"No, sorry, just thinking of something else," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry you were in a coma for so long. I used to know your mum, although that was ages ago. I suppose you remember me from when you were small and your mind is trying to adjust from the coma and images of me get jumbled up with everything else."

Rose thought that over and shrugged, figuring that was as good an explanation as any.

"What about these people though?" Rose said, pointing to the Master and Trefusis. "What do they want us for?"

"And isn't that Harold Saxon, the Prime Minister?" Sarah Jane said to the Doctor.

"He isn't Harold Saxon, he's the Master," the Doctor said, giving her a pointed look.

Sarah frowned in confusion for a moment before it hit her and her eyes widened.

"He's alive?" she said.

The Doctor nodded. He glanced at Rose who was trying to follow their conversation but he could tell from the confused look that she was completely lost. She looked at him and his hearts ached. The familiar loving look she had whenever she looked at him was gone now. He was thankful that she didn't remember enough to be in danger of dying but still, it hurt him that the woman he loved was struggling to even remember who he was. But he knew that eventually she could have a breakthrough and if she remembered him fully…

He stood up and instantly the guards pointed their blasters at him.

"Master, get them out of here," he said, pointing to his companions. "You need me. I'll stay here but they need to go."

"They can't go, Lord. They'll tell the authorities," Trefusis said to the Master. "And Rose Tyler must be punished for what she did."

"What did I do? I don't know what you're on about," Rose said desperately.

The Master caught the Doctor's eye and he gave the Master a look of warning.

"She keeps insisting she doesn't know why she's here, Lord," Trefusis said, pointing to Rose.

"Yeah, just let me handle it, alright?" the Master said to her.

The Doctor noticed Trefusis bristling at that before nodding and backing away from him. The Master caught the Doctor's eye again before walking over to the guards.

"You lot, I'm taking them with me," he said to the guards.

"Do you need us to come with you, Lord?" one of the guards asked.

"No, I can handle them," the Master said, waving his hand dismissively.

The Doctor looked at Trefusis and he noticed another angry look when he said that. He had a feeling Trefusis wasn't happy about being left out of whatever the Master was planning. But when Trefusis caught his eye, she looked away.

"You," the Master said to the Doctor. "You are in charge of your companions. If any of you try to escape, they die and you regenerate, got it?"

"Got it," the Doctor said.

"Where are you going, Lord?" Trefusis said, walking up to the Master.

"We are going on a walk; I will be back with them soon. You are in charge here," the Master said to her.

Once more the Doctor saw Trefusis bristle at that before she nodded and stepped back.

"You three, come with me," the Master said to the Doctor and his companions. "And no trouble from any of you, this is your only warning."

"Come on, Rose, come with me," the Doctor said, holding out his hand to her while Sarah Jane stood up.

Rose stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, wondering if she should take it. Then she got a flash in her mind's eye of her standing beside him on a snowy night. They were standing beside a police box and the Doctor was holding his hand out to her and she took it. Trusting the image, she took his hand and stood up. The Doctor smiled at that.

"Everything will be alright, I promise," he said to her.

Rose stared at him and suddenly felt a sense of trust between them. She nodded and the Doctor took Sarah Jane's hand. He nodded to the Master and the Master beckoned to them to follow him.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

"Okay," the Master said to the Doctor when they stepped outside the building. "I hope you take this as a sign of trust between us?"

"What about them?" the Doctor said, nodding his chin as Sarah Jane and Rose.

"The offer about Rose still stands," the Master said. "As for Sarah Jane, she can go if she wants. I have no need of her."

"What offer?" Rose said to the Doctor.

"I want to stay with you, Doctor," Sarah Jane said. "Whatever's going on, I want to help."

"What offer?" Rose repeated when no one answered her.

The Doctor sighed.

"You have amnesia," he said to her.

"Yeah, I guessed that," Rose said.

"How?" Sarah Jane said to him while the Master observed them.

"Me, it was me," the Doctor muttered to her.

"You? How did you give me amnesia?" Rose said in shock. "Are you the terrorist that blew up the building then?"

The Doctor started to reply and then thought about that.

"I'm not a terrorist but I did blow up Henricks," he said to her.

"Why?" Rose said.

The Doctor's mouth opened again but he didn't know what to say.

"I was saving people," he finally said vaguely.

He looked away when Rose studied his face, trying to see if he was lying or not.

"Look, I know the three of you are trying to sort this out but I would like to get going," the Master said. "So if you'd just follow me, that'd be super."

"Follow you where?" the Doctor said as they walked off with the Master.

"A special laboratory I had built when I became Prime Minister," the Master said over his shoulder.

"And what about your fan club, you don't trust them?" the Doctor said.

"I barely know them, to be honest. They were just a means to an end, like Lucy was," the Master said.

"They don't seem to think so. That older lady was angry you didn't include her in this," the Doctor said.

"Oh well, I don't even remember her name. She was just someone I picked to be in my inner circle. She was a part of the inner circle through sheer dumb luck."

"And the adoration?" the Doctor said.

"Well, I had to do something to get them to trust me so I made them believe I was a godlike creature and I was the savior of the world. Don't blame me if apes are simpleminded and believe anything they're told," he said, shrugging as he looked over his shoulder.

"I'd watch her if I were you, her adoration might become dangerous," the Doctor said.

"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" the Master said, gesturing to his companions.

Rose glanced around, trying to find a way to escape. She noticed a policewoman about sixty feet ahead of them. She looked at the Master for a moment before suddenly wrenching her hand out of the Doctor's hand and running full speed for the policewoman.

"Rose!" the Doctor said behind her. "No, wait!"

Rose panted and gasped as she strained to get to the policewoman. She was about halfway there when suddenly the Doctor seized her from behind and locked his arms around her.

"Let me go, please let me go," Rose begged as she tried to get out of his arms.

"Rose, no, calm down, please," the Doctor said in her ear. "If you don't stop this, we'll all die."

"I just want to go home, I want to get away," Rose sobbed as she stopped struggling.

The Doctor's hearts ached as he held her close to him.

"Everything will be alright, I swear," he said in her ear. "Do you want to find out why you have amnesia and who I am and who Sarah is and why they want you so badly?"

Rose wanted to say no and break free from his arms but her curiosity about what was going on temporarily overrode her fear and she calmed down. She watched as the policewoman walked away, out of sight of her and the Doctor.

"It's alright, there's no need to fear. I won't let anything happen to you," the Doctor murmured in her ear. "Please trust me and do what I say, yeah?"

"I'm scared," Rose said in a small voice.

"I know you are but I'm someone you can trust, I promise. Please just come with me and don't try to escape again, alright?"

"Will you help me remember?" Rose said.

"I'll try, I'll try everything I can to help you remember but if you run, they'll track you down and kill you and your mum. I won't let them hurt you if you come with me. Please come with me."

Rose listened to him pleading with her and again there was that feeling of trust that existed between them. She turned in his arms and looked at his face. She looked into his eyes and felt calm descending over her. Somehow, she knew she could trust this man even though she didn't really know him. She looked back at the Master and Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane was standing near the Master and the Master was looking at them, an angry look on his face as he pointed a tiny blaster at Sarah Jane. She knew the Doctor was right, if she ran they would all die.

"I will trust you," she said to the Doctor.

The Doctor visibly relaxed at that.

"Just stay with me, I will protect you," he said tenderly.

Rose nodded and the Doctor relaxed his hold on her. He took her hand and Rose felt him squeeze it.

"Come," he said gently.

Rose nodded again and walked with the Doctor back to Sarah Jane and the Master.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

The Doctor walked with Rose and Sarah Jane while the Master led them somewhere. He glanced at Rose. For the moment she was calm and he hoped she would stay that way. He knew he should have let her run and tried to overpower the Master but to be honest, his old friend's offer to help restore her was too tempting. He didn't trust him entirely but he always believed that there was still some good in his old friend, deep down inside. Besides, he wasn't the one worth worrying about. The Doctor was more worried that his cult members would track Rose down and torture and kill her and it was for that reason that he wanted to keep her near for the moment. He just hoped he could keep his promise to keep her safe.

The Master led them to a London Underground entrance and they went down.

"You're taking the tube then?" the Doctor said.

"In a way," the Master replied, looking over his shoulder.

They stepped off the steps onto the platform. The Doctor looked around. At this hour of the night, there were two tramps resting on the platform but no one else was around. The tramps looked at them with curiosity and one of them called out to them, asking if they had any money but they ran when the Master pointed his blaster up at the ceiling and fired his gun, ordering them to get out. The men ran for their lives while the Master snorted with disdain at them. Then to the Doctor's astonishment, he carefully jumped down off the platform and made his way across the tracks to the wall on the other side. The Doctor leaned up slightly, keeping watch for any trains while the Master stood beyond the rails and fumbled in his pocket for something. He pulled out a small black box that resembled a remote, aimed it at the wall and pushed a button. Immediately, a section of the wall vanished and they saw a dark passageway beyond it. The Master stepped into it and flipped a switch just inside the doorway and the passageway was illuminated by tiny lights mounted on the walls. He beckoned to the Doctor to follow him and waited while the Doctor let go of his companions' hands and jumped down. He helped Sarah Jane down and then reached up for Rose. Rose shook her head and started to step back but stopped herself, remembering the Doctor's words. The Doctor nodded and smiled encouragingly while he helped her down.

"Hurry before the tube train comes," he said to them as they hurried across the tracks.

The Doctor heard one coming just as they stepped into the passageway. The Master made them step inside a few more steps before he turned and used the device to bring back the section of wall, preventing their escape and hiding the entrance.

"Follow me," he said, beckoning to his captives.

The Doctor took the hands of his companions and they followed him. The tunnel was a bit dank and damp but the lights were bright enough to light their way. The lights were spaced evenly along the corridor and were about halfway up the brick walls.

"Does your fan club know about this?" the Doctor said to the Master while they walked.

"No. Not even Lucy knows," the Master said. "I designed this as a sanctuary for myself and a hiding place if I need it. It has all the comforts of home along with a few other things I thought I might need."

The Doctor mentally cursed. If Lucy didn't know about it, she'd have no idea where to lead Torchwood or Donna once they got to London. He'd have to find a way to signal them and tell them where they were.

They walked about a hundred feet until they came to a large room made of the same brick as the corridor. The Doctor stopped and looked around while his companions did the same. The front room was part lounge and part study with a sofa and chairs and a TV on one side of the room and bookcases and a desk and chair on the other side. There were several doorways to the sides and at the back and the Doctor could see a kitchen through one and beds in a couple more. He also noticed a couple of doorways had cage doors over them and he hoped they weren't going to occupy them. The Master turned to the doorway behind them and used the device to seal them in. He then turned to the Doctor and his companions.

"Again, I will give you a choice. Act like civilized people and don't try to stop me or escape and you can move about this place and use the bedrooms. Otherwise, I can lock you in my cells and you can come out when I have need of you. What'll it be?"

The Doctor glanced at his companions.

"We'll behave," the Doctor said.

"See that you do," the Master said. "Kitchen is through there," he said, pointing to the doorway at the back. "Have something to eat if you're hungry. Toilet is in the room beside it along with the bath and I have several bedrooms. Doctor, keep them under control. I have CCTV hidden in here so I can keep an eye on you so don't try anything and think that I won't see. Now I have some work to do so I'll be at my desk. Feel free to explore since the only way out was the one I just sealed up. And don't think about trying to get this," he said, showing them the device before putting it in his trouser pocket.

He made a point of turning his back on them and walking to his desk.

"Another show of trust, I hope," he said aloud as he walked to the desk.

The Doctor looked at his companions, shrugged and they walked towards the kitchen while the Master sat down at his desk. They entered and looked around. There was a counter at the back with cabinets above it and beside that was a stove and refrigerator. there was another counter on the other side of the room with a few china plates on top of it. The Doctor let go of Rose and Sarah Jane's hands before walking to the fridge and opening the door. He rummaged through it while Sarah Jane walked over to him.

"I don't remember the Master being this friendly towards us," she said to him.

"I think that's because he needs my help and I need his," the Doctor said, pulling out a small plastic package containing some sliced turkey. "We've worked together before so it's not entirely out of character for him. I think deep down inside he still wants to be friends with me but we're on opposite sides now and we can't go back to the way things were. But if he's willing to call a truce for the moment and act friendly, I'll do the same."

"What about Rose? How did you give her amnesia?" Sarah Jane said, lowering her voice.

The Doctor glanced around and noticed Rose was looking through the cabinets. He leaned into her ear and quickly whispered the reason. Sarah Jane looked horrified when he finished.

"She'll die if she remembers you?" she mouthed to him.

The Doctor nodded. Sarah Jane gasped and they both turned when they heard the sound of breaking glass. Rose had dropped a jar of marmalade onto the floor.

"What was that?" the Master called out.

"Nothing, Rose accidentally dropped a jar of marmalade onto the floor and it shattered," the Doctor said when he ran to the door.

"Clean it up and be careful," the Master snapped at him.

"Yes, we will," the Doctor said. "No worries."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't need him coming in here and getting angry," he muttered to Sarah Jane. "Rose, are you alright?" he said, walking over to her.

"I…I saw something in my mind when I picked up the jar," Rose said. "We were standing in this woman's house and you grabbed a jar of marmalade like this one and opened it and stuck your fingers in it and ate some. But the woman…I don't know who she is. Do you?"

The Doctor was stymied. Rose was waiting for an explanation and he was scared to tell her too much at this point. But he was saved by the Master coming into the room with a broom, dustpan and cloth.

"Because you didn't know where these were kept, I brought them to you," he said, handing them to the Doctor. "They're kept in the cupboard in the lavatory.

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

The Master turned and walked out of the room.

"Well?" Rose said.

"Look, Rose, it's complicated. It's a part of your amnesia," the Doctor said while Sarah Jane took the cleaning implements from him.

"I guessed that," Rose said impatiently. "But if you'd tell me about it, maybe I'd remember everything and the amnesia would end."

Sarah Jane and the Doctor shared a glance.

"I can't tell you everything right now because…there's a danger of you dying if I do."

"From him?" Rose said, pointing to the doorway. "The bloke that calls himself the Master?"

"Partly. Like I said, it's complicated," the Doctor said, taking the cloth back from Sarah Jane and squatting to clean up the marmalade. "Just trust me, alright?"

"I don't know why I should. I barely know you and you won't tell me your name," Rose said. "All I know is you're called Doctor. What's your real name then?"

The Doctor glanced at Sarah Jane.

"John Smith, I'm called John Smith," he said to her. "Doctor is an affectionate nickname."

"John Smith? Bit common, isn't it?" Rose said.

The Doctor shrugged.

"My parents weren't very imaginative people," he said to her.

"And she's Sarah Jane?" Rose said, pointing to her.

"Sarah Jane Smith," Sarah Jane said, extending her hand to her.

"Smith? Are you related?" Rose said, looking between her and the Doctor.

"Yes, this is my son," Sarah said quickly. "Isn't that right, love?"

"That's right, mum," the Doctor said, trying not to laugh.

"So why did they want your mum?" Rose said to the Doctor.

"Leverage. He wants me to help him and you and she are here to make sure I comply."

"What about me? You said you were an old friend of my mum. Why isn't my mum here then?" Rose said. "And why did that one nutty woman say I must be punished for what I did. What did I do?"

"Rose, just…quit asking questions for the moment. We'll answer all your questions in time, yeah?"

"Just trust you?" Rose said.

"Yes, just trust me. Please."

Rose shook her head. She took the cloth from the Doctor and wiped up the rest of the marmalade. When she was done, she told Sarah Jane she'd sweep up her mess and after she was finished with that, she told them she was going to have a lie down in one of the beds and left the Doctor and Sarah Jane standing there while she walked out of the room.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

The Doctor told Sarah Jane he was going to check on Rose before leaving the kitchen. The Master was using a laptop at his desk. He glanced at the Doctor and the Doctor nodded as he headed to the lavatory with the cleaning implements. The Master went back to what he was doing and ignored him while the Doctor put the broom, dustpan and cloth away in the bathroom cupboard. He then walked out and headed to the bedrooms. The first bedroom was unoccupied but when he got to the doorway of the second one, he heard soft crying inside and his hearts ached as he slowly entered.

Rose was lying on the bed, under the covers while she wept. The Doctor moved slowly to the side of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. Rose turned her head to look up at him, her eyes red and moist and her cheeks tearstained.

"I'm sorry," she said to him, "it's just that…no one gives me a straight answer since I've woke up and I'm scared."

"I know," the Doctor said, squeezing her shoulder.

He walked around to the other side of the bed and Rose sniffed, watching while the Doctor sat down and smiled tenderly at her. Rose looked at his hand and the Doctor watched while she reached out and held it.

"This feels so natural to me," Rose said, looking up at him. "But how can that be if you're just an old friend of my mum?"

The Doctor let out a ragged sigh.

"You're more than that, aren't you?" Rose said.

"Rose, I can't tell you," the Doctor said, looking away and lowering his head.

There was silence in the room. The Doctor kept his eyes averted but he could hear Rose sitting up. There was more silence and the Doctor resisted the urge to turn his head and see what Rose was doing.

"M'atesh tariri nesu."

The Doctor stiffened when Rose suddenly spoke. She spoke a Gallifreyan phrase to him that he'd taught her, an affectionate nickname he had given her when they were lovers. He turned his head and met her gaze.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked her.

"I think it means the light of my soul but I don't know how I know that. And what language is it? It's nothing I've ever heard before," she said.

The Doctor was about to speak when Rose waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, sorry," she said bitterly. "I'm not meant to know, I'm just s'posed to trust you."

"Rose," the Doctor said when she flopped back down on the bed and turned her back to him.

"Just leave me alone," Rose whispered as she pulled the blanket up around her.

The Doctor didn't obey. Instead, he lay down beside her and stared up at the ceiling while he put his hands on his chest. For a few minutes, there was only silence and then suddenly Rose let out a loud gasp and the Doctor jerked his head around, watching in horror while Rose's body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Rose!" he said, turning her on her back.

He stared horrified at the catatonic look on Rose's face while her body trembled and shook violently. He thought she was having a seizure but he guessed that she might have worked out who he was and the memories came back and now her body and mind were being destroyed. He called her name desperately, willing her to go back to her former state. He put his hands on either side of her face, intending to enter and shut down her mind, put her in a coma before she died but he gasped when a golden glow suddenly enveloped her body and he reared back. Determined to save her life, he put his hands through the glow onto her head and jerked them back when her skin was so cold, it burned his hands.

"Rose? Rose!" the Doctor said, not sure what was going on.

"Doctor, what is it?" Sarah Jane said, rushing into the room.

She froze when she saw the golden glow around Rose's body.

"What happened?" Sarah Jane said, rushing to the side of the bed.

"I don't know, we were just laying here and suddenly this happened," the Doctor said to her. "I thought perhaps she remembered me and the memories came flooding back but her body isn't burning up, it's ice cold and I can't even touch her now."

They watched in silent horror as the glow intensified and then suddenly part of the aura over Rose's head formed into a wolf's head.

"What's that?" Sarah Jane said, pointing to it. "Is she possessed?"

The wolf head let out a howl and before the Doctor and Sarah Jane could do anything, the head dissolved back into the aura and the aura vanished around Rose, leaving her lying there. The Doctor tried to touch her skin and found it was back to normal. Rose was laying still, her eyes closed as if she was sleeping. The Doctor checked her breathing and was relieved to find she was still alive.

"Rose?" he said to her while Sarah Jane leaned in.

They both gently shook Rose while they called her name and after a moment, Rose groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Rose?" the Doctor said, leaning his head in to look at her.

Rose stared at him for a moment before she sat up and hugged him. The Doctor was a bit taken aback by that but he hugged her back while Sarah Jane smiled.

"I know you, I remember everything," Rose said in his ear. "No, it's alright, I was saved," she said to him when she felt him stiffen. "I won't die."

"But how?" the Doctor said, pulling back from the embrace. "What was that glow?"

"The Bad Wolf," Rose said.

"The what?" Sarah Jane said.

"Bad Wolf, it was this…entity that was inside her before. I thought it was the heart of the TARDIS but it's something more?"

"It protects me. She…protects me," Rose corrected herself. "She wanted me to come back to you and she kept giving me these flashes of memory so I would know you when you found me. And now she's made it possible for me to be with you."

"She took away the Time Lord mind?" the Doctor said.

"No, she altered my body," Rose said, laying her hand on his cheek. "I'm a Time Lady now."

"Are you now?"

Everyone looked at the doorway when they heard the Master and he stepped inside the room.

"A Time Lady, you say? How very interesting," he said. "Tell me more, Rose."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

"So…this Bad Wolf thing," the Master said, moving slowly towards the bed. "Is this how you were able to absorb the time vortex and live? Because no Time Lord could do it. So what makes you so special that you have some sort of being living inside you?"

"I don't know," Rose said while the Doctor tried to get between her and the Master.

"Interesting. So you never in any real danger of dying then?" the Master said.

"I don't know, I don't know how the Bad Wolf works," Rose said.

"We could find out," the Master said.

"Don't you touch her," the Doctor snarled at her.

"Wooo, suddenly the doggie is possessive of his bitch," the Master said, amused. "What's wrong? Suddenly, she's a Time Lady and fair game now?"

"You can't have her and you won't hurt her so leave her alone!" the Doctor said.

"Can I hurt her?" the Master said, pointing to Sarah Jane.

"No!"

Just checking," the Master said with a shrug.

The Doctor watched him warily while the Master moved around the bed towards Rose.

"Yup, the dog has definitely got raised hackles now," the Master said while the Doctor glared at him. "What's wrong, afraid that she might prefer this Time Lord to you?"

"She's with me, they're both with me!" the Doctor growled at him.

"Her? I don't want that," the Master said, making a face at Sarah Jane. "She's old and she's an ape. But Rose…is young and a Time Lady. I did say we could use her to repopulate a new Gallifrey, yeah?"

"She's not going to become a brood mare just so you can rule over Gallifrey," the Doctor said to him.

"Hello, Rose," the Master said, leaning in to her. "So you're a Time Lady now? What a coincidence! I'm a Time Lord and we're compatible. How 'bout it?"

Rose gave him a pointed look and the Doctor gave him a gloating look when she put her arm around him. The Master chuckled.

"I could hypnotize her into submission, you know," the Master said to the Doctor.

"And I could stop you, you know," the Doctor said.

"I could also torture Sarah Jane there," the Master added.

"And I could torture you in return, see how this works?" the Doctor said.

"I have my laser screwdriver and it still has your DNA sample and I could use it to make you old again. So old that Rose would look at you with disgust. But not too old for Grandma there," he said, gesturing to Sarah Jane.

He chuckled when Sarah Jane flipped him the vees. He patted Rose's head and the Doctor was about to warn him to leave her alone when he whistled and strolled out of the room.

"What's he up to?" Sarah Jane said.

"I don't know but I have a feeling we won't like it," the Doctor said as he and Rose stood up.

They walked towards the doorway, expecting the Master to seal it off any moment but when they got to the doorway, they noticed the Master was at his desk, watching something on his laptop as if the past ten minutes hadn't happened. The Doctor walked over to him, expecting any minute for something to happen but the Master was chuckling at something on his laptop.

"Seen Family Guy before," the Master said, glancing at the Doctor as he came up to the desk. "Love Stewie. Especially since he has a British accent when no one else in his family does. And he's hell-bent on taking over the world, my kind of bloke."

"What are you doing?" the Doctor said, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm watching Family Guy, I think I just said that," the Master said.

"What are you planning to do to us?" the Doctor said.

"Well, that's up to you," the Master said, leaning back in his chair. "I realize the dynamics have been changed since Rose no longer needs help remembering. However, she can still be useful to us."

"She's not going to have your children just so you can repopulate your new Gallifrey," the Doctor growled at him.

"Okay, I get it, she belongs to you," the Master said. "However, we have three Time Lord minds now and that is more than enough to find a solution to finding a suitable planet for our new Gallifrey and repopulating it. Sarah Jane…she can make tea for us, I suppose," he said, gesturing to her while she and Rose stood by the bedroom doorway. "Not to mention, Rose has this Bad Wolf thing inside her and that also might prove useful. I told you we would work together which is why I backed off and came back in here."

"What about your cult members?" the Doctor said.

"I keep telling you, they don't matter to me!" the Master said.

"No, but you matter to them and I'm not sure they'd listen if you told them you're not a god and it's time to go home now," the Doctor said.

"And none of them know about this place so even if they looked for me, they couldn't find me," the Master said. "Just like your immortal friend couldn't find me if he spent the rest of his immortal life searching. This is as private as you can get, Doctor. Just the four of us now so why are you worrying about other people? Sod those enamored apes in my inner circle. They're not essential to my plans."

"And what are your plans?" the Doctor said.

"Well," the Master said, rising from his seat.

He paused a moment.

"Did you eat?" he said to the Doctor.

"No," the Doctor said.

"I am dead famished and I need a sandwich. Come with me…all of you," he said, beckoning to Rose and Sarah Jane. "Let's eat and discuss our partnership together."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So now what?" Owen said to Jack as he, the rest of the team, Donna and Lucy walked out of the London train station.

"Well, now we look for our friends," Jack said over his shoulder. "Using this little device that will pick up on the Doctor's artron energy signature. We just scan the area and see if we get anything."

They moved to the side of the building while Jack ran a scan. Everyone waited and tried to appear casual as people walked by. Then Jack chuckled.

"What is it?" Gwen asked.

"Well, I have three hits right here in this spot because me and Lucy and Donna have traveled with the Doctor," Jack said. "But I have four more hits grouped together about a mile from here. Follow me, everyone, and let's go find our friends!"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

Trefusis walked out the door of the building with Janet, Annie and Leo. They looked around before Trefusis asked Annie to run a scan on her handheld device.

"We need to find out where our Lord took the others," Trefusis said to them.

"But our Lord told us to stay here," Leo said.

"Yes," Trefusis said. "But the Doctor is with him and the Doctor is just as powerful as the Master and I fear he might have influence over his mind. We need to find them before he can persuade our Lord to switch to his side. Now did you find anything?"

"Four energy signatures not far from here but there's three others heading this way," Annie said, looking at the handheld device.

"Three others?" Trefusis said. "More allies of the Doctor?"

"I don't know, Madam Trefusis. It doesn't say who they are," Annie said with a shrug.

"Then we need to reach the Master first so we'll find the four energy signatures. I'm pretty sure that's our Lord, the Doctor and the two women. Hurry, we need to get there before the other three do."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

After fixing several turkey sandwiches and making some tea, the Master carried the food and a couple of the tea cups on a tray over to the lounge area. The Master convinced everyone that the food wasn't drugged or poisoned so Rose and Sarah Jane carried cups of tea while the Doctor let the Master carry his on the tray. The Master nodded at the sofa and waited for them to sit down before he put the tray in front of them and told them to help themselves. They each took a couple of sandwiches and the Doctor took his tea. The Master sat down in one of the chairs with the tray on his lap.

"So," he said, picking up the cup of tea from the tray. "What I was thinking was…the four of us could use your TARDIS to find a suitable planet."

The Doctor let out a barking laugh.

"What?" the Master said.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near my TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"I'd let you fly it," the Master said, annoyed. "I'd even let Blondie fly it if she were so inclined. I'm trying to be a partner and you're already suspicious."

"Gee, I wonder why that is?" the Doctor said dryly. "Maybe I'm suspicious because for centuries now you've been doing evil things and trying to kill me? The last time you were in my TARDIS, you took it from me."

"But that's in the past now!" the Master said.

The Doctor sighed and gave him a withering look.

"I'll allow you to put up barriers around me and restrict my movement, okay?" the Master said.

"Why are you so keen on this? You didn't give a…fig about the Time Lords before now," the Doctor said.

"We weren't the last of our kind before now," the Master said. "And as much as I hated those pompous arseholes, I hate being one of the last even more. I want to bring our species back and perhaps we can make them better, less corrupt. We can guide them and make them into the society they should have become."

The Doctor let out another barking laugh.

"What now?" the Master said.

"Society they should have become? This from the man who was anything except for society. You're the most antisociety person I've ever known and now you're talking like one of the High Council members," the Doctor said.

"I want to change," the Master said.

"Change?" the Doctor said.

"I want to become a better man, like you."

The Doctor stared at him in an incredulous silence.

"Do you think I'm a fool?" he finally said. "Like I'm actually buying all this codswallop? Seriously? And how are you planning to become a better man? By enslaving us in here and making us work for you. Oh! And taking Rose for your own because now she's a Time Lady and suddenly desirable to you? Is this what you're on about when you say "Better man?""

The Master set the tray on the floor beside the chair. The Doctor tensed when he stood up and walked towards Rose.

"Do you love him?" he said to Rose as he leaned over towards her.

"Yes," Rose said.

The Master took her hand and put it on top of the Doctor's hand. He then straightened back up and began to chant in Gallifreyan. The Doctor's eyes widened when he realized what he was chanting and he quickly took his hand away from Rose's.

"What's he doing?" Sarah Jane said.

"He was performing a marriage ceremony between me and Rose," the Doctor said to her.

"And? Isn't that what you want? She's compatible now, isn't she?" the Master said. "And…if she were married to you, she'd be off-limits to me, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

The Master raised his eyebrow when the Doctor trailed off. He looked at Rose and Sarah Jane sitting beside him.

"Can he do that?" Sarah Jane said to the Doctor. "Perform a marriage?"

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Time Lords had that right because they were part of the upper levels of Gallifreyan society. Time Lords replaced the oracles and the clergy when Rassilon overthrew the Pythia so Time Lords were given the function of performing binding ceremonies. But you didn't ask me if I wanted this," he said to the Master.

"Do you love her? You seem to be quite fond of Rose at the very least," the Master said to him.

The Doctor looked at Rose and noticed she was waiting for his answer.

"I mean, she obviously loves you. She walked the bloody Earth for you, I'd say that's love," the Master added when the Doctor didn't say anything. "If you love her and she's a Time Lady, why not marry her then?"

The Doctor looked at Sarah Jane.

"And you, what is your opinion on this?" the Doctor said to her.

"Well, if you love her and she loves you and she's one of your kind and he can wed you. Why not?" Sarah Jane said, shrugging. "You deserve happiness, Doctor, whether you want to admit that or not."

"Yeah, but you said that you fancied me as well," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, but I'm old and I'm content to have you as a friend now," Sarah Jane said. "I moved on. Besides I have Luke now. And by the way, if you're going to do all this, I would like to get my son," Sarah Jane said to the Master. "Or at least let me ring him. He's staying the night with his friend but I want to make sure he's safe."

"Go ahead, I said I didn't need you," the Master said, shrugging. "You said you wanted to stay and help the Doctor so that's why you're here. But that's beside the point. What is your answer, Doctor?" he said, turning his attention back to him.

"What happens if I don't get married, are you going to torture me until I say yes?" the Doctor said.

"No, if you don't get married, you don't get married. This is entirely your choice. I'm just giving you another show of my trust by allowing you to declare Rose off-limits to me."

"And then what? You sit back while I pounce on her in the bedroom and mate with her so you can have more Gallifreyans?" the Doctor said.

"Bloody hell, what do I have to do to make you trust me? I'm bending over backwards here and you're just Mister Cynical. Isn't this what you wanted? For me to be good and be your friend again?"

Rose and Sarah Jane shared a glance with the Doctor.

"Do you want this?" the Doctor asked Rose. "Would you like to be my wife?"

Sarah Jane laughed when Rose gave him an "Are you kidding me?" look.

"I think she does, Doctor," Sarah Jane said while Rose nodded in agreement.

The Master looked at the Doctor expectantly.

"Fine, I will reserve judgment for the moment and trust you," the Doctor said. "Do it," he added, taking hold of Rose's hand.

Rose and Sarah Jane shared a delighted look when the Master nodded and began to chant the wedding ceremony in Gallifreyan. She looked at the Doctor and caught his eye. The Doctor smiled lovingly and winked at her. Thanks to the Bad Wolf, Rose was able to understand Gallifreyan and she listened to the Master talking about two souls being joined together as one and that both she and the Doctor would be partners in every sense of the world. The Doctor used his free hand to pat her hand while he held it and Sarah Jane patted Rose's shoulder. The Master finished and nodded at them.

"There, she's your lives mate and off-limits to me," the Master said. "Happy?"

"Very happy," the Doctor said to Rose before he leaned in and kissed her lips.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

After conducting the ceremony, the Master left them alone again. The Doctor pulled Rose and Sarah Jane into one of the bedrooms. He sighed when he examined the doorway.

"No way to close this, except by getting the Master's little toy," he said to them as they sat down on the bed. "So, we'll have to speak softly then. "I think I know what's going on here and why the Master is acting so strangely."

He looked at his companions and when they didn't speak, he kept going.

"The Master may think he's a Time Lord. But he's not, he's human now," the Doctor said to them in a hushed voice.

"What?" Sarah Jane said in a hushed voice. "How?"

The Doctor pointed to Rose.

"You merged with my TARDIS and transformed him into a human being," he said to Rose. "It's the reason I had to take your memories away. You couldn't let go and it was killing you. The Master acts like he's still a Time Lord but…I think deep down he knows he isn't and he knows he needs me now to help with his grand schemes because he doesn't have his Time Lord mind anymore. That's why he's being so nice to us and so lenient. At least that's my theory."

"And he wants to bring the Time Lords back from the brink of extinction now?" Sarah Jane said. "Even though he's no longer one of them?"

"Maybe by ruling over Gallifrey, he can feel like a Time Lord again," the Doctor said with a shrug.

"So it was a sham," Rose said.

"What was?" the Doctor said.

"The wedding," Rose said bitterly. "No wonder you went along with it. You knew it wasn't legitimate because he wasn't a Time Lord any longer."

The Doctor looked at Sarah Jane. Then to Rose's astonishment, he took her hand and repeated the wedding ceremony.

"There, now it's legitimate," he said to his stunned companion when he finished the wedding litany. "You don't know me was well as you think you do, Rose," he said, stroking her cheek when she teared up at that. "Now that we got past that…I think we should keep indulging the Master, at least for the moment. He's still dangerous but he's mortal now and he can be dealt with. What worries me is this cult of his that he doesn't think is important. But I think they're even more dangerous than the Master. Especially the older lady he was speaking to earlier. She was angry when the Master took us away from her watchful eye and I have a feeling she wants to share power with him and she may stop at nothing to get it, even turn on her so-called Lord."

"So we just pretend to go along with whatever he's planning?" Sarah Jane said.

"For the moment, yes. I'm curious, anyway. I want to know how he plans to bring back Gallifrey, apart from finding a new planet."

"And you're going to let him in the TARDIS?" Rose said.

"I'm considering it," the Doctor said. "As long as I'm free, the TARDIS will obey me and keep him from mucking with her or wandering off."

"And you're hoping he really has reformed," Rose said.

"I always hope for that, Rose. I've known him since we were children and we grew up together on Gallifrey. We were extremely close and I keep hoping that one day he'll go back to the way he used to be. I have to keep hoping for that and now that he's human, perhaps this will be the reformation I've been looking for. He can't hypnotize people anymore, at least not without some sort of alien tech and he can't regenerate. Maybe his mortality will finally cause him to stop and think about his actions and what he could do with the rest of his life. It might be a fantasy of mine but like I said, I'm hopeful."

They fell silent when the Master came to the doorway. At first, the Doctor was afraid he'd been listening in but then he came in to the room with his laptop.

"I have a CCTV camera above the entrance that leads outside," he said to them. "This is live footage."

He turned the laptop so they could see the screen and they saw Trefusis, Annie, Leo and Janet standing on the platform opposite the sealed doorway. Annie was looking at the handheld device and they were looking around. The Doctor bit back the accusation that it had been a trap all along and looked at the Master.

"They followed you?" he said instead.

"Apparently so," the Master said, setting the laptop down on the table beside the bed. "They have an artron energy scanner, that's what she's holding," he said, pointing to Annie. "But they don't know I built this place so they're apparently searching for us without success."

"So what do we do?" Sarah Jane asked him.

"I suppose we wait them out. Surely they won't search all night," the Master said with a shrug.

"No one has that device that could open the doorway?" the Doctor said.

"No. I'm the only one that has that so there's no chance of them getting…"

"Look!" Rose said, pointing to the screen.

Everyone watched while Trefusis and his group turned to face Jack and his group.

"They followed you?" the Master said to the Doctor.

"Jack has a scanning device similar to the one the woman's carrying," the Doctor said. "I told them to follow me but they have no idea this place exists so I'm sure they're just as confused as your followers are."

They watched while Jack and his group confronted Trefusis and both sides began to argue. The Master raised his eyebrow when Lucy came into camera view with Donna.

"So my ex-wife did land up with you then," the Master said to the Doctor.

"Yup," the Doctor said, his eyes on the monitor.

Now both sides were in a heated argument and trading threats back and forth. The Master snorted.

"Apes," he muttered to himself.

The Doctor heard that and he, Sarah Jane and Rose shared a knowing look while the Master sighed and folded his arms over his chest as the argument escalated. Then suddenly a tube train came racing by and the view was momentarily blocked while it stopped and let people off. When the train started up again and the view was unblocked, the participants in the argument were nowhere to be seen. Now there were a few people standing on the platform but they were random bystanders. The Master, the Doctor, Rose and Sarah Jane waited for both groups to return but after ten minutes, the Master shrugged and picked up his laptop.

"I'm guessing everyone fled when the train pulled up," the Master said. "Not to mention there is security? I'm sure no one wants to end up in jail over this."

"They'll be back though," the Doctor said. "If they're picking up our artron energy signatures, they'll return to search again."

"Perhaps, but perhaps we should be gone when they do return," the Master said.

"And where should we go?" the Doctor said.

"To your TARDIS," the Master said.

"It's in Cardiff, are we going back there then?" the Doctor said.

"You don't have a remote control that calls her to you? I thought you had one," the Master said.

"I do but…you're still willing to let me be in control of her?" the Doctor said.

"I told you I would let you restrict me if you don't trust me," the Master said.

The Doctor glanced at his companions before nodding.

"Very well then," he said, standing up and reaching into his trouser pocket for his Stattenheim Remote Control.


End file.
